Shadows of Beacon
by jws381
Summary: A direct sequel to my previous story The Other World, Team RWBY is back to solve another shadow-related mystery with the help of new friends and old. This time it seems Beacon Academy itself is the focus of the strange activity and Team JNPR has gone missing. A basic knowledge of RWBY and the Persona series is recommended. There may be spoilers.
1. New Arrivals

_*Note: I will be including recommendations for music I think goes along with certain bits of the story. They're mostly from the RWBY soundtracks or the various Persona soundtracks, but I may include some other songs. There will be some repetition but I'll try to keep it to a minimum. If it doesn't work out or I get lazy, I may stop without warning.*_

Chapter 1

Aigis became aware that her systems were resetting. The experience was somewhat similar to unconsciousness for a human. The diagnostics came up and everything was normal. Her systems would only reset if they were stressed to near the point of breaking. Apparently traveling between universes was very stressful. Her senses would come on late in the process. Hearing was first.

"Aigis?" Labrys asked. "Are you alright?" Aigis wanted to respond, but her speech functions were not online yet. Her sight came online, revealing a verdant forest. Finally she could speak.

"I am alright." Aigis confirmed. "My systems are resetting."

"My systems reset too." Labrys said. "They're all online now though." Her systems, being two generations older, must have been simpler and faster to reset.

"I cannot move yet." Aigis said. "Is the area secure?"

"I'm not sure." Labrys said. "I can sense something approaching. It's not a shadow, but it isn't human either."

"Which direction?" Aigis asked. "Please point me toward it." Her remote sensors were still not active and she could not move her head to face the potential threat.

"It's more than one target, closing rapidly." Labrys added. Aigis watched the tree line and after a few seconds, several sets of glowing red eyes appeared in the shadows. This did not look good. Finally she was able to move. She stood up and faced the oncoming creatures. Her weapons and remote sensors were still offline.

*Recommended Music – _Unavoidable Battle _(Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

"Labrys, I think you will have to fight them yourself." Aigis said. "I will join you when I am ready." Labrys nodded and swung the massive two-headed axe off her back. About a dozen creatures emerged from the trees. They looked like werewolves. It was clear from the way they approached that they were not friendly, but they seemed reluctant to attack. They must have been confused; after all, they were facing robots from another world.

Finally, one of the creatures rushed at the pair. The others broke into a sprint and followed. Labrys rushed forward as the monsters converged on her. The leading beast lunged straight for her. She jumped to the side and sliced the creature in two with her axe as it flew past. Two more reached her as soon as she dealt with the first. She kicked one in the chest, staggering it, and ducked a swipe from the other's claw. She swung her axe back around and cleaved them both in half. The others broke off their wild charge and spread out, surrounding her. Two rushed at her from opposite sides. She jumped over them and they crashed into each other head first before falling to the ground. Labrys landed on one's head, crushing it, and brought her axe down hard on the other, splitting it in two. There were six left. Now they just circled, desperate to find an opening.

Labrys went on the offensive and charged at one of the monsters. It proved surprisingly nimble, dodging a mighty swing from her axe. She had been overly aggressive and now she was out of position. The creature leapt onto her back, slamming her to the ground. Suddenly, a series of gunshots rang out and the creature dropped to the ground, lifeless. Labrys leapt to her feet to face the others, but they too had been shot dead. Aigis stood just across the field, smoke pouring from her fingers. Her weapons systems had come online just in time.

"You really must be more cautious." Aigis warned.

"Sorry." Labrys said.

"There is nothing to be sorry about." Aigis said. "You are still inexperienced; you just need to learn from your mistakes." Labrys nodded. "Those creatures dissolve when killed, just like shadows. I wonder what they are."

"They're Grimm." A woman said, walking up to them. She was followed by several armed men. Her weapon was far more impressive than theirs. It appeared to be a combination between a flamethrower and a chainsaw. She wore a yellow shirt and yellow pants, and her only piece of armor appeared to be a plate that wrapped around her lower torso. A metal apparatus was snapped onto the back of the armor, presumably fuel tanks for the flamethrower. On top of her head she wore what looked like a welder's mask. Her brown hair was tied into a short ponytail. Aigis' remote sensors were still not fully online and she had not seen her or the rest of the group coming. "Who are you and what are you doing out here?"

"I am Aigis." Aigis said. "This is my sister Labrys." Aigis bowed slightly and Labrys followed suit. The group facing them seemed confused by the gesture. "We are looking for Helia Anthos."

"You found her." Helia said. "Why do you want to see me?"

"I was told you could put me in touch with a group of local Persona users." Aigis replied. The men with Helia seemed confused but she was unfazed.

"I can take care of this, you guys head back to the village." Helia commanded the others in her group. They shrugged and walked off, disappearing into the forest. "You mean Ruby and them?"

"Yes." Aigis confirmed. "I also need to speak to Amber Kelly about custom ammunition."

"I can make that happen." Helia said. She looked over the two strange women standing before her. They both wore black suits with long overcoats. It was out of season, but people around this place always dressed strangely. She was more troubled by the apparatus both were wearing on their heads. Aigis wore what appeared to be headphones. They were strange looking, but nothing compared to what Labrys had attached to her head. A large metal contraption extended back behind her head, partially hidden by her long gray ponytail. There was also something strange about their eyes. "If you don't mind my asking, where are Yu and the others? I assume you know them too."

"They could not come this time." Aigis said. "My sister and I are here in the stead."

"Okay, we'll stop in to see Amber, and then I'll take you to Ruby and her team." Helia said. She knew that the appearance of these strangers meant there was trouble. Team RWBY had kept her up to date about what had gone on after they rescued her, so she had some concept of the situation. Rosso had been mostly uncooperative beyond admitting to attempting to kill Team RWBY. He had made a few strange comments about the end of the world though. It seemed whatever Team RWBY had dealt with the last time was a problem again. This time, she was not going to just sit on the sidelines.

* * *

*Recommended Music – _Troubled_ (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

"They're not in their room either." Blake said. Ruby, Weiss and Yang did not want to be the one to say it, but they all knew Team JNPR was in danger and it likely had to do with the shadows they had faced before. Team JNPR had not been in class and did not join them for lunch like they usually did. There had been a crazy rumor, a rumor that sounded a lot like the shadow incident they had faced earlier, and Team JNPR had talked about checking it out. Now they were missing.

"What are we going to do?" Weiss asked.

"I guess we're going to have to look into this rumor too." Yang said.

Ruby's scroll rang. She pulled it out of her pocked and took a look. "It's Helia." She reported. That was another bad sign. "What's up?" Ruby put her on speaker.

"Two girls showed up today asking about you." Helia said. "Aigis and Labrys. They know Yu and his group." This pretty much confirmed Team RWBY's worst fears, if they had more visitors from earth, there was definitely something shadow-related going on. "I'm bringing them to Beacon."

"That's fine, but where will they stay?" Ruby asked.

"I contacted Ozpin." Helia explained. "He was headmaster when I attended Beacon too. I told him I had two local huntresses who could benefit from attending some courses and he agreed. We just need to stop in to see Amber, and then we'll be on our way."

"Okay, see you then." Ruby said before hanging up. They looked at each other. "So, what do we do now?"

"Maybe they know more." Blake said. "We should wait until they arrive and ask. Failing that, we just check out that rumor."

* * *

"I can make rounds like this." Amber said, looking over a cartridge from Aigis' guns. "They're very similar to one of the standard mass-produced rounds, so with a little modification they should work. Could you give me the gun that will be firing them? I want to be able to test them."

"Regrettably, I cannot." Aigis replied. "I can tell you that it has the structural integrity to withstand a 150% increase in chamber pressure." She placed a drum magazine on the table between them. "This is the type of magazine that goes with the weapon, so the rounds must fit."

"Alright, I'll mail them to you at Beacon when the batch is ready." Amber said. "How will you be paying?" Aigis reached into her pocket and produced a handful of Lien. She reached into another pocket and produced another pile. "Uh, I think that should cover it."

"Thank you." Aigis said before walking out of Amber's shop. Amber stood there with a shocked and confused expression on her face.

"How much did you pay her?" Helia asked. "She looks confused."

"70 million Lien." Aigis said. "That accounts from all the currency I was provided with before coming here."

"70 million!" Helia exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how much that is?!"

"I was not given context as it relates to the value of that currency." Aigis replied. "Did I not provide enough?"

"No, you just gave her enough money to retire on." Helia answered. "Those had better be the best bullets ever made."

* * *

"I am Aigis." One of the newcomers said. She had short blond hair and bright blue eyes. She had what appeared to be rather strange headphones on her head. "It is an honor to meet you."

"And I'm Labrys, Aigis' sister." The other said with a thick accent. She had piercing red eyes and a long gray ponytail. She also had a device on her head, but it was much more elaborate. She carried a large double bladed axe on her back.

"I'm Ruby; this is my sister Yang, my friend Blake, and Weiss." Ruby said.

"Hey!" Weiss protested.

"Oh, and that's our dog Zwei." Ruby pointed to the corner of the room where the dog was sleeping, curled up in a ball.

"My sister and I have both cared for dogs in the past." Aigis said. "My dog Koromaru could even use a Persona."

"We were wondering if you knew anything about what's going on." Blake got straight to business. Talking about dogs made her nervous anyway.

"Unfortunately, my sister and I do not have any information about the current incident." Aigis reported to Team RWBY.

"Okay, I guess we'll just have to go out there tonight to check things out." Ruby said.

"Before we go, I feel there is something we should tell you." Aigis said. The others looked at her expectantly. "Labrys and I are not human. We are robots."

"We know." Helia said.

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious." Yang added. "All we had to do was take a good look at the things in place of your ears to figure it out. You're also not sweating even though you're wearing full suits and overcoats. It's pretty hot in here." The robotic sisters seemed surprised that they had so easily been discovered. It had never been a problem on earth.

"My full name is 7th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon Aigis." Aigis said.

"I'm 5th Generation Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon Labrys." Labrys said.

"So, what are you going to do about repairs?" Weiss asked. "If you get damaged in combat, what then?"

"Normal healing Persona abilities are sufficient for minor repairs, the same way they would heal a person's cuts and bruises." Aigis explained. "We are also capable of affecting temporary repairs on each other. We are both fitted with very strong armor, so hopefully it will not be an issue."

"We've got robots here too." Blake said. "They don't have personalities though."

"We are both fitted with a Plume of Dusk." Aigis said. "It is what allows us to be 'alive,' have a personality and wield a Persona. Two plumes have been fashioned into a sort of heart in my case. Labrys has an abnormally large unmodified plume, which accounts for her accent and the fact that she was the first unit to display human emotions. Her emotions can also be somewhat more intense. My personality was developed through extensive interaction with humans, hers mostly from interactions with sister units."

"So shadows are enough of a problem on earth that they make robots that can wield Personas to fight them?" Ruby asked.

"That is not entirely accurate." Aigis said. "Powerful shadows were initially produced as part of research experiments, and we were created to keep these specific shadows in check. Labrys was inactive at the time, but the shadows broke out. I failed to fully contain them, and all my sister units were destroyed in the ensuing battle. The consequence was almost the end of the world, but a friend of mine sacrificed himself to save us all. After that, I joined the Shadow Operatives, an organization dedicated to fighting shadows. I first met Yu and his friends while investigating the theft of Labrys, who was still inactive. We fought in the TV world with Yu and his friends to save Labrys who faced herself and gained her Persona. I found out about this world from Margaret while I was investigating Yu and his friends. Margaret decided to send us instead so the others could continue to live normal lives." Ruby frowned. She had hoped to see Yu and the others again. It had been one bright spot in an otherwise dire situation. Now that hope was gone.

"So, what are your Personas' powers?" Yang asked.

"My Persona is focused on physical attacks." Labrys said. "It has a few other abilities, but they're not as strong."

"I have two Personas." Aigis said. "My natural Persona Pallas Athena has physical and healing abilities. My other Persona is Orpheus and has fire-based attacks." Aigis paused for a moment. "I can sense his power in you." She said to Ruby.

Who was she talking about? Ruby did not know, but she wrongly guessed Yu. "I have the power of the Fool too." Ruby explained. "Since you have more than one Persona, I guess that means you do as well."

"Yes, that is correct." Aigis confirmed. "In any case, we should get to work. If there are shadows here, they must be eliminated as soon as possible."

Team RWBY described the rumor Team JNPR had told them about prior to their disappearance. At the stroke of midnight, the Tower turned into a twisted labyrinth, while other doors all around Beacon became portals to other worlds. Aigis seemed very alarmed by what she heard. They agreed to check it out that night to see if they could find anything that could help them rescue Team JNPR. Helia was determined to help too, even if the others were against the idea. She was going to repay Team RWBY for saving her.

* * *

*Recommended Music – _The Voice Someone Calls-In the Labyrinth-_ (Persona Q Soundtrack)*

"I can't believe the rumors were true." Weiss said. She stared in shock at the Tower, now twisted beyond recognition. Doors to various buildings around the campus had developed an otherworldly glow. It seemed it was just as the rumor alleged, and it definitely felt like the shadow world.

"Tartarus?" Aigis whispered to herself as she looked at the Tower.

"What did you say?" Blake asked.

"A tower like this appeared during the incident I dealt with before joining the Shadow Operatives." Aigis explained.

"Are we experiencing the Dark Hour?" Labrys asked. She had not been there with Aigis, but she had read the incident report and was familiar with the phenomenon.

"No, this is not an extra hour added to the day." Aigis said. "Look." She pointed to a pair of students casually strolling past. They did not seem to notice the strange changes to the campus. "Perhaps only certain people can see it."

"Well, there's no use standing here talking about it." Yang said. "Let's check out that tower."

The group walked over to the Tower. Ruby walked up to the door and gave it a tug. It did not budge. "I think it's locked." Ruby said.

Labrys pulled on the door with all her might. "I don't think this is a normal door or lock." Labrys said. "With my strength I could easily break through any lock, but I can't break this one."

"What's this?" Weiss said. She walked to the side of the door. A glowing paper was posted there. "Maybe this is a clue."

"What does it say?" Blake asked.

* * *

_A broken flower,_

_Risen again,_

_Still haunted by,_

_Their brutal end._

* * *

"A poem?" Blake did not know what to make of it.

"Perhaps it refers to Helia." Aigis said. "Anthos translates as 'flower' on earth. She told me that her back had been injured, but that you healed her."

"What do you think Helia?" Ruby asked. There was no response. "Helia?" She was not with them. "Where did she go?"

"There!" Labrys pointed to Helia who was walking as if in a trance. She walked to the door leading to the ballroom and opened it, revealing a strange looking portal. She stepped inside and disappeared.

"I knew it was too dangerous to bring her." Blake said. "She doesn't have a Persona."

"She was lured into the shadow world the same way last time." Weiss observed. "She must still be vulnerable to The Call that Rosso talked about."

"We must rescue her." Aigis said. "A place containing shadows is too dangerous for anyone who does not have a Persona."

"Let's do it!" Ruby shouted. They rushed to the door and followed Helia through the portal.


	2. Broken Flower

Chapter 2

*Recommended Music – _Time to Say Goodbye_ (RWBY v2 Soundtrack)*

The group emerged into a twisted forest. Gnarled, lifeless trees lined a narrow path. A trail of blood ran down the path as far as they could see. "What could this place be?" Ruby asked.

"Well, if our experience is anything to go by, it relates to an event from Helia's past." Blake said. "The poem said something about 'their brutal end.' Maybe this has something to do with that. Who 'they' were I don't know though."

"If she went to Beacon, she should have a team right?" Weiss asked. "She never mentioned them. She said the Grimm broke her back. What if…" Weiss was cut off by Aigis before she could finish.

"There are shadows here." Aigis reported.

"Yeah, my Persona can sense them too." Yang confirmed. "We should be ready for a fight."

Aigis and Labrys nodded to each other and began disrobing. Aigis removed her overcoat and suit, then the shirt beneath, revealing her sterile white armor and mechanical joints. She left her bright red tie on, carefully folded the rest of her clothes and placed them on the ground. Under Labrys' suit was what appeared to be a school uniform. She too had white armor and very mechanical looking joints, though her body was more obviously robotic and her forearms were bright red compared to Aigis' dark grey. She placed her clothes with Aigis' and straightened her skirt.

"Why do you wear that?" Blake asked Labrys.

"When I was reactivated, I was in the shadow world." Labrys explained. "It took the form of a school. It's hard to explain, but at the time I was trying to convince myself that I wasn't a robot, and I was wearing a uniform like this. It was all part of facing myself and awakening my Persona. Now it's just what I feel comfortable wearing."

"I was built to fight without clothing." Aigis explained preemptively. "I wore a red bow that was part of a school uniform I wore before joining the Shadow Operatives, but after joining, I felt it was more appropriate to wear something more formal. I do not know why, but I feel more comfortable wearing a bow or tie around my neck."

"We should really get going." Ruby said. "I don't like the idea of Helia being here for any longer than absolutely necessary."

"Yes, we should reach her as soon as possible." Aigis agreed. She grabbed drum magazines from near her hip joints and slammed them into place on her wrists. "I am ready when you are." The others nodded and they advanced into the forest.

* * *

"I'd say we're in for a fight." Yang said. The group advanced into a large open area. "In the past, whenever we've encountered a place like this, there's been a strong shadow waiting."

"Yes, this place is very suspicious." Aigis said. "My scanners do not seem to be operating properly. I am sensing shadows all around us, just past the edges of the area. They are not strong, but they are numerous."

"We experienced that too." Blake said. "It was like the weaker shadows were avoiding us. Maybe they're avoiding a fight they know they can't win." Aigis stood at the edge of the area. She ran her hand up and down. Instead of feeling the trees and brush she was seeing, she felt a flat wall. "It's just an illusion." Blake continued. "We've seen that too."

Suddenly Aigis turned around and took a fighting stance. "What's wrong?" Ruby asked.

"There is a strong shadow here." Aigis said. "It seems to be invisible and is using the weaker shadows to overwhelm my sensors and Yang's Persona." Labrys focused and tried to locate the shadow. She could not; her older generation sensors were not powerful enough. She shook her head in defeat. Aigis advanced confidently into the open area, not letting her guard down for a moment. The others followed closely and looked over the area, but they could see nothing.

"If my sensory powers were stronger, I could track it." Yang said in frustration. She redoubled her efforts. "Weiss! Look out!" She shouted.

*Recommended Music – _Master of Tartarus_ (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

Weiss looked around in confusion, but could not see anything. Suddenly, something smacked her in the chest and she tumbled to the ground. As the creature attacked, it was briefly visible. It looked a bit like a large Beowolf. It disappeared as soon as it had appeared, leaving the group in shock. Ruby helped Weiss to her feet and the group formed a circle, facing outward against the invisible threat. It seemed to like Weiss – or hate her – and it attacked her again. She saw a flash of it as it grabbed her, but it was too late to react. It lifted her up and tossed her away from the others. She landed on her feet and carefully looked back toward where she had been attacked. She could just see faint impressions moving across the ground, rapidly heading toward her. She hastily created a glyph in front of her and the shadow slammed into it, becoming visible as it made contact and fell to the ground. Weiss did not waste the opportunity. She leapt forward and plunged Myrtenaster into the monster's chest. It dissolved and disappeared.

"Good thing that's taken care of." Blake said, walking over to Weiss. "Are you alright?" Weiss nodded.

"Wait!" Aigis yelled. "There's more than one!"

"Where?" Ruby asked. Aigis hesitated. She could not locate the shadows.

Yang felt something hit her in the back, slamming her down on her face. She rolled over and covered her face with her arms as a shadow slammed its fists down at her. The attack was relentless, and with the shadow only visible for brief moments, impossible to counter effectively. Yang struggled to protect herself as the shadow delivered blow after blow. Ruby rushed toward her to help, but she was clotheslined by an unseen shadow and slammed down onto her back. She summoned her Persona Norn and used its wind abilities to push the shadows away from herself and her sister. The group hastily reformed, moving together until they reached an edge of the area.

"We need a way to see them or they'll pick us off eventually." Blake said. She thought she saw one and took a few shots but hit only air. "Do you have any ideas Aigis?"

"I have never known shadows to act this way or be invisible." Aigis replied. "The shadows I have faced fought in the open and did not resort to tricks like this. These shadows appear to be much smarter."

"What if we coat them with something?" Ruby asked. "If they were covered with something, we'd be able to see them."

"Yeah, but what?" Weiss asked. "It's not like I'm carrying a bucket of paint."

"How about fire?" Yang said. She summoned her Persona Turan and launched a wave of fire out in front of the group. The fire temporarily lit up the shadows, but as soon as the attack ceased, they were invisible again. "I need more power. Ruby, add some wind."

"On it!" Ruby shouted. She summoned Norn and fanned the flames generated by Yang's Persona. The shadows lit up and caught fire. The fire did not seem to injure them, but now they were highly visible torches.

"Locking on!" Aigis announced. Her fingertips retracted to reveal gun barrels and she pointed her hands at the flaming shadows. The sound of gunfire echoed through the area as Aigis unleashed a barrage of lead. The shadows writhed as her bullets scythed through them. They became visible before dissolving and melting away. Yang and Ruby continued to blast fire around the area, ensuring there were no shadows lying in wait. "All shadows eliminated." Aigis confirmed.

Ruby rushed over to Aigis and grabbed her arm. Aigis was startled. "Wow, your hand are guns!" Ruby said excitedly as she manipulated Aigis' fingers. "This is so cool." Aigis was clearly uncomfortable, but Ruby was absorbed in examining a new weapon.

"You'll have to excuse this dolt." Weiss said. "She likes weapons more than people."

"That's not true." Ruby protested, finally letting go of Aigis. "It's just that people are so much harder to deal with." Weiss and Ruby started arguing amongst themselves.

"Aigis, those guns sure look handy." Yang joked. "Eh? Eh?"

Blake sighed loudly. "You'll have to excuse her too, she's obsessed with bad jokes." Blake said.

"Oh, you were making a pun?" Aigis said. "I had not realized. I was programmed with many examples, but my companions ordered me to delete them from my memory."

"I wish we could do that to Yang." Blake said. Yang frowned and it seemed like there was another argument brewing.

Labrys did not like where things were headed and quickly changed the subject. "That trick with the wind and fire, I've never seen anything like that before." Labrys said. "That was really creative."

"Yu and his friends actually came up with the idea." Ruby admitted. "We've tried coming up with other combinations, but we've only used wind and fire together in combat."

"The look on your face when you talk about them, you must be good friends." Labrys observed.

"Yeah, I really miss them." Ruby said sadly.

"I'm sure you'll meet them again." Labrys encouraged her. Ruby seemed to cheer up a bit.

"We should get going." Blake said. "We have no idea what else we'll face here."

"Blake is correct." Aigis said. "These shadows are acting unlike anything I have ever faced. It would be wise to be on guard and keep the initiative."

* * *

*Recommended Music – _Laser Beam_ (Persona Q Soundtrack)*

The group continued down the bloodstained path until they reached another open area. This time there was no question as to what they were facing. A shadow in the form of a King Taijitu was curled up in the center of the area. The massive snake clearly saw them but did not attack, instead remaining coiled while threateningly hissing and baring its fangs. "There appear to be two snakes but I only sense one shadow." Aigis reported.

"That makes sense." Weiss said. "That's another form of Grimm. It's a giant snake with one head at each end."

"How does that even work biologically?" Labrys asked.

"Nobody knows." Blake replied. "Grimm dissolve when killed, can't survive in captivity and are too hostile and dangerous to study in the wild. Other than the fact that they want to kill every person they come across, we don't know much about Grimm at all."

"Perhaps they are more similar to shadows than I realized." Aigis mused. "This line of thought is best saved for later. This may merely be a shadow impersonating a Grimm, but does a King Taijitu have any particular weaknesses?"

"No." Yang said. "But if you shoot or stab them enough, they die like anything else." Yang rushed at the shadow. It suddenly uncoiled and slammed its white head into her. She tumbled through the air but managed to land on her feet.

Aigis took aim and fired a burst from her hands. The bullet ricocheted off the shadow without having any effect other than to annoy it. "It has thick skin." Aigis observed. Labrys ran toward the shadow and leapt high into the air. Using the rocket boosters built into her axe, she rocketed down into the snake, bringing her axe down with all her might. There was a blinding flash and Labrys was sent flying back in the direction she came as the attack was reflected. She lost her grip on her massive axe which spun through the air erratically before embedding itself in the ground. Labrys landed on her back in a daze. Aigis rushed to her and helped her to her feet. "Physical attacks are not going to work here, use your support skills."

Labrys nodded. "Ariadne!" She summoned her Persona. It took the form of a robotic woman, surrounded by a red string suspended in an elaborate design. The Persona stretched out an arm and a pale light surrounded the group. "There, you should be stronger now." Aigis informed them. She did not have to tell them, they could feel the power.

"Maybe fire will do it." Yang said. She summoned her Persona. Ruby summoned Kikuri-Hime and Aigis summoned Orpheus. Orpheus was robotic in appearance and carried a lyre. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster to launch a line of fire at the shadow. The group attacked in unison, surrounding the shadow in an inferno. The flames died away revealing the shadow, on fire but uninjured. Its black head lunged at Weiss. She leapt into the air to avoid the strike and landed on the shadow's head. Using glyphs she encased it in ice before rushing to safety. The creature struggled furiously to break free of the frozen snare.

"I think it's safe to say ice won't do it either." Weiss said. Ruby summoned Izanagi and launched an electrical storm at the beast. The electricity was repulsed, shooting out in all directions. Aigis and Labrys were knocked to the ground by the hit, to which they were particularly vulnerable. Ruby tried again, this time with wind from Norn. It seemed to have some effect and the shadow withdrew temporarily, giving the group time to come up with another plan.

"Sorry about that." Ruby said as she healed Aigis and Labrys.

Blake summoned her Persona Diana, with the intent of trying darkness and light attacks. First up was darkness. A black circle appeared below the shadow before collapsing upon itself. There was a flash of light and the white head dropped to the ground. The black half of the snake, now dragging the dead weight of its white half, struggled to strike back. Blake and her Persona were faster, and she surrounded the shadow in a series of white squares. The squares collapsed and in a flash of light, the black head dropped to the ground, dead. The shadow dissolved and disappeared.

"That is very interesting." Aigis said. "I have battled shadows that can change their strengths and weaknesses over the course of a fight, but I have never seen a shadow that had conflicting properties within it at the same time."

"Yeah, there's nothing like that in the records." Labrys confirmed.

"Sorry again about hitting you with that electricity." Ruby said. "I didn't expect it to be deflected like that and I didn't know you were vulnerable to it."

"There is no need to apologize." Aigis said. "What happened was beyond your control and we should have informed you of our vulnerabilities anyway."

"Yeah, it's fine." Labrys added. "Let's get going, we still need to save Helia."

* * *

"Helia is just ahead." Yang reported. Her Persona's powers of detection were not the strongest, but they were good enough to find a specific person who was not far away. "I can't say for sure, but I don't think she's alone." Sure enough, the path opened up into a large open area. Helia stood in the center, staring in disbelief at a man just in front of her, her weapon laying on the ground beside her.

"Come on Helia, it's me, Coral." The man said. Helia just shook her head. She was clearly distressed. "Fine, I'll prove it. You guys always loved this trick." He pulled very large revolvers from holsters on each hip and one across his chest. With the flip of a switch, the three transformed into machete-like blades. He effortlessly juggled the blades as Helia looked on. "Even when I told you my semblance lets me see them in slow motion, you didn't seem any less impressed." He caught one, transforming it back into a revolver, as he tossed the other two high into the air. Shooting from the hip, he fired at the two flying blades, hitting the switch on each to turn them back into guns, before catching them with either hand. "See, who else could do that?"

"You can't be Coral." Helia persisted. "Coral's dead."

"That is definitely a shadow." Aigis shouted. "Helia, step back." She attempted to take aim with her guns, but Coral positioned himself so he was behind Helia.

"Fine, you got me." Coral said. "I'm a shadow. Your shadow to be precise."

"Why?" Helia cried. "Why did it have to be you?"

"Of course it had to be me." Coral said. "I'm the star of the defining moment of your life. Well, I'm one of the stars. You couldn't save any of us."

"I know, I'm sorry." Helia said weakly. "I wasn't strong enough." The others tried to get in position to attack the shadow, but it was too close to Helia. All they could do was watch and wait.

"You were strong enough to save yourself though." Coral said angrily. "Then you just gave up on life. Some Huntress you turned out to be. You know, we wouldn't have even been out there if it wasn't for you. We'd all still be alive. Instead, only the most pathetic member of the team is left."

"Stop it." Helia cried. "I know. If I could, I'd go back and die in your place."

"Well, you can't." Coral said. "But I can offer the next best thing. You'll die here, by my hand." With that, the shadow transformed into a gigantic and twisted Ursa, retaining the basic appearance of Coral's face. Its arms and back were covered in bright white plates that contrasted starkly with its pitch black skin. Enormous claws tipped its fingers. It loomed over Helia, ready to strike her down.


	3. Old Friends

Chapter 3

*Recommended Music: _I'll Face Myself-Battle-_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

"Go!" Blake shouted. "Now!" There was no time to wait for a clear shot. Helia was in immediate danger already. A blast of wind from Ruby's Persona Summer Rose knocked the shadow off balance and gave Weiss time to construct a wall of ice between it and Helia using her glyphs. Shielded by the ice, Yang rushed in, grabbed Helia with one arm and her weapon with the other, and dragged them away from the shadow.

Yang was about to charge back in to punch the shadow in the face, as was her usual approach. "Wait, don't get close." Helia warned. "Trust me, you don't want to fight it hand-to-hand." Yang hesitated, not sure if she should take that particular piece of advice. After all, Helia did not know her very well and certainly did not know much about shadows. Still, something about the way she said it made Yang more inclined to listen.

"Do you have a better plan?" Yang asked. She wanted to trust Helia, but she needed a reason or at least an alternative. All the while, Weiss held the creature up with ice from her glyphs and Persona Ananke. Ruby did the same with wind but neither element seemed to be more than an annoyance if they did any damage at all. Blake's use of light and darkness likewise failed to produce any results. "Helia, come on." Yang implored. "Give me something or I'm charging it." Aigis opened up on the shadow with her guns. The bullets that struck the shadow's white, bone-like plates deflected off harmlessly, while those that struck its softer parts seemed only to make it angrier.

"If you have to fight it up close, at least use your Persona." Helia advised. "If it's at all like the thing it represents, it'll tear you to pieces if it gets the chance." It was not really her style, but that was a strategy Yang could work with. Things were still not going particularly well for the others. Labrys sent her Persona Ariadne to attack the shadow at close range. The Persona's first hit managed to stagger the shadow, but it almost immediately recovered and delivered a brutal strike of its own. The pain was clear on Labrys' face and she had her Persona retreat.

"Pallas Athena!" Aigis shouted, summoning her Persona. Her Persona took the form of a goddess in a flowing white dress, protected by a large, round blue shield and wielding a massive golden spear. It charged at the shadow, its spear deflecting off one of the shadow's plates. It attempted to counter with a swipe of its claw, and the Persona was pushed back after blocking with its shield. Ruby switched to another Persona, Isis, to help Weiss slow down the steadily advancing shadow using ice. Labrys and Aigis used their Personas to make hit-and-run attacks on the lumbering beast, but it was unclear if they were having any real effect.

"Enough!" The shadow growled with a distorted version of Coral's voice. Electricity arched between its claws before shooting out at its attackers. Aigis, Labrys and Ruby were almost instantly knocked out as the attack struck directly at their Personas' weaknesses. The attack was enough to send Weiss and Blake reeling as well.

Yang sent in her Persona Turan and blasted the shadow with fire. It roared in pain and charged straight at the Persona with unexpected speed, throwing it to the ground and slashing at it with its claws. Yang wisely withdrew her Persona before she was incapacitated. "That hurt it!" Yang announced. "Kill it with fire!" Weiss cycled Myrtenaster to fire dust as her Persona continued using ice to delay the shadow. It was a losing effort and she was forced to withdraw her Persona before it too was crushed by the beast. She launched a line of fire from Myrtenaster straight at the shadow, hitting her target dead center. Still the monster continued to advance. With the shadow's attention focused on Weiss, Blake managed to flank it and jump onto its back. She slashed at it with Gambol Shroud as it struggled futilely to reach her. With a growl, the creature's entire body was charged with electricity and Blake was knocked off by the shock, landing hard on her back.

The shadow began to turn toward the incapacitated Blake, but Weiss hit it with another shot from Myrtenaster. Leaving Blake where she lay, it lowered its shoulder and charged at Weiss, slamming into her with all its weight. Weiss was sent tumbling painfully across the ground. The monster went back for Blake, still dazed from the shock. A backhanded smack from its arm knocked Blake back to the ground. It strode to her and raised its foot to stomp on her. It brought its foot down but met unexpected resistance. Yang stood beneath the creature's gigantic foot, straining to hold it up. "Come on Blake, get out of here." Yang commanded. Blake sprung to her feet and slashed at the bottom of the shadow's foot. It roared angrily and stepped back. As Yang and Blake retreated, Yang summoned her Persona and repeatedly blasted the shadow with fire. Weiss was back on her feet doing the same and soon the creature stood in the center of a firestorm.

Desperately, the creature reverted to the form of Coral and got as close to Helia as possible. The others could no longer attack for fear of hitting her. For her part, Helia clutched her weapon and stared the shadow down. "Come on Helia, don't let me die again." The shadow pleaded.

"You stole his face." Helia said with tears in her eyes. "That is unforgivable." She leveled her weapon at the shadow and blasted it with her flamethrower. The shadow thrashed around as it burned before dissolving and disappearing. Helia dropped to the ground, crying. She was suddenly engulfed in a purple light. A tarot card descended from above and shattered before her. The image of a goddess surrounded by blinding light appeared above her. "Sulis." She said the name of her Persona.

Blake set about healing the others. Ruby, Labrys and Aigis had taken a beating, but they would be alright. "Something is wrong." Aigis reported soon after regaining consciousness. "My sensors are…"

"There are shadows heading this way!" Helia shouted with alarm. "Lots of them." The others looked at her, somewhat confused. "I have the same power as Rise. I can sense them."

"I can sense them too." Yang added with concern. A massive wave of shadows approached from the direction of the entrance.

"Individually they're not very strong, but there are so many." Helia said. "We're in no condition to fight them now."

"They have blocked our avenue of retreat." Aigis reported. "Furthermore, I am low on ammunition."

"One way or another, we've got to fight." Blake said. The group took up positions facing the oncoming shadows. Things did not look good. Normally, even this large number of shadows would be of little concern given their individual weakness, but the group had been weakened considerably by their earlier fights.

"I'm picking up something else." Helia said. "There's so much power."

"A strong one?" Ruby asked.

"I don't think so." Helia replied.

Just before they reached the group, Izanagi scythed through the mass of shadows with its sword. A wave of fire cut through the shadows as Sumeo-Okami followed. Dissolving shadows flew through the air, Takeji Zaiten swatting them with its sword as it marched forward.

*Recommended Music: _Reach Out to the Truth_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

The advancing Personas were followed up by more and finally by their wielders. The Investigation Team was back! "Sorry we're late." Yu said casually as Izanagi continued to annihilate shadows.

"We thought you weren't coming." Ruby said.

"How could we stay away?" Chie said as Haraedo-no-Okami attacked relentlessly.

"We dropped everything as soon as we heard you needed help." Yosuke added as Takehaya Susano-o blew shadows away.

"But how did you even know?" Ruby asked. "How did you find us?"

"I'm a detective." Naoto said. "It's my job." Yamato Sumeragi generated a black circle under a group of shadows. The circle collapsed, taking dozens of shadows with it.

"Once we were here, you were easy to find." Rise reported. "All we had to do was head for the massive concentration of power. That and follow the shadows." The battle raged before them. "Hit them with more ice." Rise advised after summoning Kouzeon.

"It's Teddie's time to shine!" Teddie shouted excitedly as Kamui-Moshiri launched innumerable chunks of ice at the oncoming shadows. Their combined attacks were pushing the shadows back.

"It's turning in our favor, keep up the pressure!" Rise encouraged them. Team RWBY, Aigis and Labrys joined in to defeat the few remaining shadows that were not fleeing. Soon the area was clear of shadows.

"We're lucky you guys showed up when you did." Labrys said. "It was looking like we were in for a serious fight."

"Yes, that mass of shadows suddenly appeared just after we finished dealing with Helia's shadow." Aigis said. "I wonder where they came from. My sensors detected some shadows in this place, but they could not account for the total we faced."

"They came from the weird tower." Yosuke reported. "They came flooding out of there and into here just as we arrived. It made finding you guys a lot easier."

"Didn't that tower have a familiar look and feel to it?" Yukiko asked. "It was like what happened to our school when the town was surrounded by the Red Fog, but there was no fog out there."

"There's no fog in here either." Naoto said as she removed her glasses. "Strange, we've only encountered shadows in worlds filled with supernatural fog. This appears to be a new phenomenon."

"All the weird stuff only appears at midnight." Yang added. "It's not like that portal that was there all the time when we were in the forest. There are some similarities though."

"Like what?" Chie asked.

"People went missing." Ruby said. "In this case our friends Team JNPR. There was a rumor going around about all this stuff, and they went to check it out but never came back. We were investigating when Helia was pulled into this place."

"Did you find any clues?" Naoto asked.

"Well, the entrance to the Tower was locked and there was a poem on the door." Weiss said. "Aigis thinks it referred to Helia but we had to save her before we could investigate further. We could go back there to show you." Naoto nodded in agreement.

* * *

"It was right here." Weiss pointed. There was nothing there now.

Ruby walked up to the entrance and tugged on the door. This time it opened. "I guess rescuing Helia unlocked it." She mused.

"Or maybe defeating her shadow did it." Yang posited. "Let's see what's inside." The group entered the Tower. Aigis thought the place looked vaguely like the entrance of Tartarus, though it lacked the clock motif. A set of stairs led up to a large, glowing portal. Beside the stairs was a dark gray stone plaque engraved with gold lettering. Some of the text was glowing.

"It looks like more bad poetry." Blake said as she examined the plaque. "It might be important though."

* * *

_The trials of_

_The Seven Seals,_

_To whom completes_

_The truth reveals._

**_A broken flower_**

**_Risen again,_**

**_Still haunted by_**

**_Their brutal end._**

_Though a leader_

_His weakness stark,_

_Inside he hides_

_A secret dark._

_She'll break their legs_

_It's just the start,_

_For she conceals_

_A tortured heart._

_Invincible_

_Or so it seems,_

_For one boy's love_

_Is what she dreams._

_Without a voice_

_A quiet soul,_

_But silence may_

_Yet take its toll._

_Forged in flame_

_And fratricide,_

_Her guilt a painful_

_Rising tide._

_Her promise made_

_Was to defend,_

_But could not save_

_Him in the end._

* * *

"So if we complete the seven trials, we'll find out the truth?" Yosuke asked. "That doesn't sound too bad. I'd be there's a catch though."

"Well the one we saw earlier is glowing." Yang observed. "Maybe that means we completed that challenge."

"We just have to decipher the others." Naoto said. "Do you have any idea what they mean?"

"Well, some of them could refer to our missing friends." Ruby said. "Jaune's a good leader but a bad fighter, Nora's supported the breaking of legs in the past, Pyrrha is called the Invincible Girl, and Ren is a quiet person. I don't know about the rest of the stuff or the other two verses though. Some of it sounds like a sappy love letter. I could be totally wrong too. We just don't know enough."

"The final two verses may refer to my sister and me." Aigis said. "It is hard to be certain though."

"I'm sorry to get in the way of your investigating, but I'm really tired." Helia said. "Could we pick this up tomorrow?" They had already been through a lot that night, Helia in particular. It would be a good idea to rest and take some time to think it over.

"Okay, let's head back to the dorms and get some rest." Yang said.

"Uh, where are we going to go?" Kanji asked. "We're not students here so we don't have rooms of our own." That was a good point. The Investigation Team would require accommodations, but did not have the official sanction to be at Beacon like Aigis, Labrys and Helia. They headed back to the dorms. They would sort out the problem there.

* * *

"We've got two rooms between us." Helia said.

"Okay, girls in one room, guys in the other." Chie said.

"You can use our room." Helia said. She handed her scroll to Yu. "That should get you in." The guys headed off to their room.

"There are quite a few more girls than guys though." Naoto observed. "How many beds do you have?"

"There are four in each room." Weiss replied.

"There's 11 girls though." Chie said. They arrived at Team RWBY's room and Ruby opened the door for them. Zwei slept quietly in the corner. It looked a bit small for such a large group.

"Me and Aigis don't need beds." Labrys said. "We usually rest in a sitting position, so we can just use chairs."

"I'll sleep on the floor." Helia said. "I actually find it pretty comfortable."

"Two to a bed then, this could get interesting." Yang said suggestively. "I'll pair up with Bla…"

"I'm with Yang!" Ruby said excitedly. "It'll be just like when we were kids." Yang was disappointed, but could not bear to say no. They decided on the pairings and went to sleep, ready to renew their investigation the next day.

* * *

The next day, everyone met up for lunch in the dining hall. Team RWBY, together with the Investigation Team, Aigis, Labrys and Helia made for a strange sight. Still, for all anyone knew the newcomers were just visiting students. Earlier, they had had to quickly devise a way to disguise Aigis' and Labrys' robotic nature, but Beacon uniforms with high socks to cover their legs and gloves for their hands did the job pretty well. The apparatus on their heads was still visible for all to see, but no one seemed to notice. People around the school dressed so strangely, it was no surprise that they did not get a second glance.

"It's a shame you two have to attend classes." Ruby said to Aigis and Labrys. "Port's class can be pretty rough."

"For all his bluster and exaggeration, Professor Port's stories carry important tactical lessons." Aigis said. "Though they were somewhat boring I did gain potentially useful knowledge. Should we face Grimm again, I will be better prepared."

"I guess that's one way to look at it." Yang said. She turned to the Investigation Team. "So, the food here isn't free, how did you pay for it?"

"Margaret gave me money before we came." Yu replied. "I think she gave us too much though."

"How much?" Blake asked.

"120 million Lien." Yu answered. Jaws dropped. "We spent 40 million chartering a ride here last night. Everything here is so inexpensive though."

"You guys are breaking the economy." Helia complained. "When I go back home everyone in that village is going to be living in luxury because of you."

"That's even a lot of money for me." Weiss said. "Why did she give so much?"

"I do not think residents of the Velvet Room have any understanding of the value of currency." Aigis replied. "Even on earth they seem incapable of understanding it."

*Recommended Music_: Deduction_ (Track 14 of Disc 1, Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

"I think we should get down to business." Naoto said. She came from a wealthy family but discussions about money always made her uneasy. Perhaps it was her investigations of white collar crimes. "You said the changes to the campus occur at midnight, but you don't know why or how. We asked around and other students dismissed the rumors, some stating that they had been out at that time and seen nothing unusual. Therefore, I think it's safe to assume that the phenomenon only affects certain individuals, perhaps only those capable of wielding a Persona."

"No one on Team JNPR can wield a Persona though." Blake observed.

"But neither could Helia before you defeated her shadow." Naoto countered. "It may only be the potential that matters."

"What about those stupid poems?" Weiss asked.

"They said there are challenges to overcome to get to the truth, so let's just do it." Kanji said confidently. "It sounds like you guys had them pretty figured out, so it shouldn't be too hard."

"Yes, but we do not know what the result of completing the challenges will be." Aigis warned. "It implies that the truth will be revealed, but that may be a deception. It could trigger something terrible. In a previous incident I was involved in, we destroyed specific shadows because we were told it would remove all shadows from the world, but we had been lied to. In actual fact it nearly brought about the end of the world."

"There's too much we don't know." Rise admitted. "We don't even know if the Tower is important or just where the shadows live. Maybe the other places like where you fought Helia's shadow are the key."

"We should focus on saving Team JNPR." Ruby said. "Whatever else is going on, they're in immediate danger."

"We'll get started on it tonight." Yang agreed.


	4. The Fall of CHRE

***Just fair warning, this chapter is pretty brutal. It's the main reason the story is rated M.***

Chapter 4

Once classes were over for the day, Helia managed to gather Team RWBY, Aigis and Labrys. The Investigation Team, with no need to attend classes, had gone off to Vale to see if there was anything interesting to do. "You guys are probably wondering what all that stuff with my shadow was about." Helia started. "You've probably guessed, but my team is dead. We were team C-H-R-E, cherry, and Coral was our leader. I may as well tell the whole story."

* * *

_Two Years Earlier_

"I'm really sorry you guys are stuck out here with me." Helia said. Team CHRE was in the forest, searching for a pack of Ursai that had been causing trouble for the nearby village. "I'm sure you wanted to go someplace interesting for our first post."

"I like it out here." Coral said. "It's quiet and everyone is so nice. Besides, your village definitely needs our help. It's tough to get by with just one Hunter for the whole area. It'll be a good way to ease us into this kind of work. It looks like we're in for some action today too, right Russet?" Russet grunted something that sounded vaguely like an affirmative response. He did not talk much. He just went on sharpening his halberd as he walked on in front of the others. Russet never seemed to take a break from preparing his weapons, even when they were on the move.

"Hey Coral, I've got a joke for you." Ecru said.

"Please, no." Coral sighed.

"What kind of train eats the most?" Ecru asked. He paused, waiting for Coral to guess. That guess was not forthcoming. "A chew-chew train! A chew-chew train Coral!" He said while making a biting motion. Ecru laughed hysterically.

"Why do you do this to me?" Coral asked. Helia laughed, not at the joke but at their interaction. Russet had no reaction. They pressed on further into the forest, heading for the last place the Ursai had been seen. The group of Grimm had been attacking anyone who left the safety of the village, but before Team CHRE's arrival, there were not sufficient resources to deal with the problem. Russet stopped walking and held up his arm with a closed fist. He pointed to something on the ground. It was clearly an Ursa's footprint, and it was fresh. They advanced cautiously until the forest opened up into clearing. Across the clearing was a cliff with a dark cave cut into the side of it. A few Ursai were standing outside the cave, unaware of the approaching Hunters.

"You think that's the group?" Helia asked.

"Yeah." Coral confirmed. "They were last spotted nearby."

"I count seven." Ecru said quietly. "That matches the reports."

"Alright Russet, hit them." Coral whispered. With a primal roar Russet rushed out of the cover of the forest and charged across the field at the unsuspecting Grimm. He was upon them before they could react and immediately sliced one in half from shoulder to hip. Ecru stood back nearer the clearing's edge, firing at the Ursai with his recurve bow. He repeatedly sunk arrows into one Ursa until it finally collapsed in a lifeless heap. Helia ran her chainsaw straight through the midsection of another. Coral approached, emptying his three revolvers into one Ursa, killing it. As another charged him, he transformed one gun into a machete and threw it, hitting the approaching Grimm in the center of the forehead. It fell with a thud at his feet. Russet cut the leg off one Ursa before he finished it off by stomping its head flat. The final Ursa tried to flee, but Ecru killed it with several arrows to the back.

Coral ripped his machete free from the dead Ursa's head, transformed it back into a gun and reloaded it before returning it to his holster. "Good job guys." He said as he reloaded his other guns. "We should probably check that cave to make sure we got them all." Russet grunted as he wiped what was left of one of the Ursai off his boot.

"I'll have a look." Ecru said eagerly. He casually walked over to the cave entrance and peered inside. It was dark, but he could just barely see movement. "What's that?" He asked himself before taking a few steps in. Seconds later he came running out of the cave. "Run!" He screamed. The others watched in horror as a giant Ursa burst out of the cave behind him. It grabbed him in its massive claws, and in one swift motion, ripped him in half.

"You bastard!" Russet yelled as he charged at the beast. It casually tossed the two halves of Ecru's corpse aside as Russet leapt at it. He brought his halberd down into the creature's shoulder with all his strength. The blade sunk in by maybe a foot. For an Ursa this large it was merely a flesh wound. It shook him off and he slammed to the ground. The Grimm stomped on him repeatedly, far beyond the point of killing him.

Coral unloaded his guns into the monster. With them empty, he transformed two into machetes and threw them at the Ursa. They stuck in the beast but only enraged it. It charged at him and sent him flying with a swing of its arm. Coral sailed through the air and into the trees. The Ursa went back to mutilating Russet's corpse. Helia ran to where Coral had landed. She found him impaled on a branch. Covered in blood and viscera, it protruded from his midsection. Somehow he was still conscious. "Helia, get out of here." Coral said weakly. "Save yourself."

"No, I'm not leaving you." Helia protested.

"I'm already dead." Coral said. He coughed up blood. "Don't throw your life away."

Before they could argue further, the Ursa charged at them. Helia managed to mostly avoid the attack, but the Grimm managed to grab her flamethrower's fuel tanks with its claw, ripping them off her back. She turned and pulled the trigger, but with the tanks gone there was nothing to fire. The monster grabbed her in one of its massive hands and squeezed her tightly. She could feel and hear bones snap as her aura gave way. In desperation, she revved her chainsaw and cut into the creature's fingers. It let go as she sliced two off cleanly. The Ursa roared as it clutched its mutilated hand, and Helia was able to gain some distance. She looked back. The Ursa stood there, still focused on its hand, with her fuel tanks at its feet. She had an idea. Coral, just clinging to life, had it too. "Catch." Coral tried to yell. It came out much weaker than intended, but Helia heard him. He tossed one of his guns to her. It still had a bullet in it. She took aim and fired at the tanks. The resulting explosion incinerated the massive beast.

Helia grabbed her scroll and hurriedly sent out a distress call. Exhausted and badly injured, she stumbled over to the dying Coral, collapsing at his side. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." She said, tears in her eyes.

Coral reached out his hand and managed to grab hers. "It's alright." He whispered. "We've all got to go sometime. Most Hunters aren't lucky enough to die of old age. The best we can hope for is a hero's death. Just promise me…just promise…just…" Coral went limp as Helia wept at his side.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Wings_ (RWBY v1 Soundtrack)*

"I never figured out what he was trying to tell me." Helia said, tears streaming down her face. Team RWBY had varying degrees of success in controlling their own emotions. Labrys and Aigis could shed no tears, but their expressions made their feeling just as clear. "I've never forgiven myself. My semblance could have saved them, but I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't use it quickly enough. For a long time after that, I practiced every day to strengthen it, which is why I can use it so easily now. I was expecting to get healthy and to go out to fight again, but as you know the pain in my spine never went away. I wanted to at least be able to do something useful with my life. It was the only way I could properly honor their sacrifice, the only way to make it worthwhile. But I was crippled. Nothing would fix my back and I just thought that was it for me, that I'd never be able to do it. Then you guys came and healed me, and I was ready to get back to work. I joined up with the police and went out fighting Grimm again. But whenever I did, I couldn't think of anything else. All I could see was my team dying, again and again. I kept thinking that no matter what I did it would never be enough to live up to them. I would always think that they could have done so much more. They were so much better, so much stronger. By comparison, I'm worthless."

"I think I know what Coral was trying to say." Ruby said. "I think he was telling you not to give up. He wouldn't want you to let your life be ruined by his death. He'd want you to keep moving forward and be happy." She hugged Helia, which was awkward given their difference in height. Ruby was crying too. "We've all lost someone, but with each other's help, we can overcome the pain and go on living our lives."

* * *

"Waiting sucks." Yang sighed. They had to wait for midnight to go save Team JNPR. It was four in the afternoon.

"You could take a nap like Weiss." Blake said.

"I can't sleep." Weiss said, rolling over to face them. "How could I while I'm worrying about tonight? Knowing you, you'd have an even harder time."

There was a knock at the door and Ruby opened it. "Delivery for Aigis." Amber Kelly said. She had a hand-truck with several crates on it. "The first two thousand rounds are here. That includes 500 fire, 500 ice, 500 explosive and 500 armor piercing rounds. I even fashioned custom magazines to more efficiently dispense them."

"You did not have to deliver them in person." Aigis said. She effortlessly lifted one of the heavy-looking crates and placed it on the floor next to the chair she had been sitting in.

"You're strong." Amber observed. "It took three of us to life them when we were loading up. Anyway, I delivered them in person to make sure they got here as soon as possible. Given how generously you paid me, I thought it was the least I could do. I hired three more technicians and they're working on more rounds as we speak. I should be back tomorrow with the next shipment."

"Thank you." Aigis said politely. She finished unloading the crates and ripped the lid off of one. The rounds were already loaded into magazines that were slightly different than the ones she normally used.

"Now be careful with those." Amber warned. "They pack much more of a punch than the standard round you gave me for reference. See you guys later." She turned and started to leave.

"Hold on." Helia said. "Could you bring me something when you make tomorrow's delivery?" Amber nodded. "Here's my key. There's a wooden box on the mantle in my house. It would be very helpful if you brought it to me."

"Alright, see you tomorrow." Amber said as she left.

Aigis lifted one of the magazines out of the box. It was labeled fire. The magazine was surprisingly light. She slipped a bullet out and held it in her other hand. Its weight matched a normal round's, so the material making up the magazine itself must have been lighter. Aigis replaced the bullet, rolled up her sleeve and slapped the magazine into place. It fit perfectly and the rounds loaded normally. She unloaded her arm and put the magazine back.

"Now you won't have to fight hand-to-hand at least." Blake said. "Dust rounds should give you a tactical advantage as well."

* * *

*Recommended Music – _The Voice Someone Calls-In the Labyrinth-_ (Persona Q Soundtrack)*

Just past midnight, the group was gathered and ready for another night of battling shadows. "Where should we go?" Yosuke asked. "Should we try the Tower or one of the other buildings?"

"Perhaps we should simultaneously investigate multiple locations." Aigis suggested. "If one group investigated the Tower while another investigated an outlying building, it would prevent the shadows from focusing against us. Last night's ambush was dangerous and we should take care to avoid a repeat."

"Sounds good, how should we break it down?" Yang asked.

"Yu and the Investigation Team can check out the tower." Ruby said. "The rest of us will check out one of the other buildings."

"Which one?" Weiss asked. "Well?"

Ruby's seemed distracted and was looking at nothing in particular. "Hold on, me, Aigis and Yu need to take care of something." She explained. In front of the statue at the center of campus was a door that had an eerie blue glow. The three knew it well. "We'll only be a minute. Helia and Rise should scan the area while we're busy." Ruby approached the door and the others followed, reaching out for the handle to be transported to another plane of existence.

LLLLL

*Recommended Music – _Aria of the Soul_ (Seriously, pick a Persona soundtrack, the version is irrelevant)*

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room." Igor said. "It seems you are still in need of my assistance." Igor said to Ruby, seeming to ignore the others.

"It's good to see you again." Theodore said. "All of you, it's an honor."

"Theodore, have there been any changes to my powers?" Ruby asked.

"As a matter of fact, you have awakened another bond." Theodore replied. "It is that if the Sun arcana. As a result you can now wield a new Persona, Asura. This change has affected the two of you as well. Unfortunately, the other limitations you faced before remain. Since you are new to these circumstances Aigis, I shall explain. Due to the effects on space and time created by your worlds being linked, the nature of the Fool has changed. Presently, you are only able to wield your base Personas and a few related to bonds Ruby has formed. It seems that the fates of all three of you are tightly connected. You can currently wield Isis, Norn, Kikuri-Hime and Asura. If Ruby forms more bonds, you may yet unlock the power of more Personas."

"When we fought Tuonen Piika, my Persona Summer Rose transformed." Ruby said. "When I summoned her again yesterday, she was back to normal. Why is that?"

"The transformation of your Persona was brought about by a combination of extreme stress and your intense desire to save your friends." Theodore explained. "With those conditions gone, it is no surprise that your power has returned to normal. That transformation could be repeated and even made permanent if the right conditions arise, but given their extreme nature, I would advise against seeking them out."

"Is that all?" Ruby asked. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"I can only offer a warning." Theodore said grimly. "The opponent you face now is much more powerful and ruthless than Tuonen Piika. Do not let your guard down for a moment." Given that advice, the three departed.

* * *

"Aigis, are you okay?" Labrys asked as Aigis' mind returned to her physical body.

"Yes, I am fine." Aigis replied.

"We told her it was fine, but she was really worried." Chie explained.

"I am sorry for not explaining in advance." Aigis said. "Now, did Helia and Rise find anything?"

"Well, we couldn't really detect anything about the Tower other than a whole bunch of shadows inside." Rise said. "Some are powerful, but most are pretty standard weak ones."

"On the positive side, I think we managed to locate their friend Jaune." Helia reported. "It seems like he's in one of the lecture halls."

"Then that's where we'll head first." Ruby said. She turned her attention to the Investigation Team. "Don't do anything too risky. We just need you to distract the shadows while we save Jaune."

"We will proceed judiciously." Naoto assured her.

"Alright then, let's get to it." Yang said. "We'll regroup once we've got Jaune."

* * *

*Recommended Music: _The Genesis_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

Rosso Victrix sat silently in his cell. He was the only prisoner in the small village jail and had been for some time. Occasionally someone would get dragged in for some petty theft or a drunken brawl, but after a few hours the place would be empty again. Only the guards were there to keep him company, and they wanted nothing to do with him. He was charged with some serious crimes. Kidnapping, attempted murder and a whole host of other assorted charges faced him. He had confessed to them all. It seemed the only thing left was for the authorities to determine his punishment. He thought about it often. Would he spend the rest of his life rotting here? Would they just execute him? Death was preferable, at least as far as he was concerned, even if it was unlikely.

The clock clicked over to midnight. Rosso should have been sleeping but he rarely did anymore. He had nothing but time, and sleeping was as good a way as any to spend it, but for some reason he could not sleep for more than an hour or two a night. At first he thought it might be guilt. He quickly discarded the idea. He just could not stand being locked up here. It was a constant reminder of his failure. His dream, his new world, was as dead as his brother.

The lights blinked on and Rosso could hear footsteps approaching. He watched as one of the guards walked up to his cell and piled up Rosso's armor and weapons just outside. Then he opened the door. "What's going on?" Rosso asked. "Surely I'm not being released. Are you engineering a fake escape attempt so you can murder me?"

"I would not abandon such a loyal servant." The guard said, but not in the guard's voice. This voice was deeper and otherworldly.

"Tuonen Piika?" Rosso asked hopefully.

"No." The guard replied. "She is my Herald. I am her, and by extension, your patron."

"Who are you?" Rosso asked.

"All will be explained in time." The guard said. "Your destiny is calling. Don your armor and wield your weapons. The time has come for you to seize it!"

"You will not punish me for my failure?" Rosso asked meekly. "Have you punished Tuonen Piika? Please tell me you have not."

"The failure was not yours or hers but mine." The guard said. "I underestimated the resistance you would face. I should have intervened personally. Together, we will correct my error and bring about a new world."

"I am ready to serve." Rosso bowed and put a hand over his heart. "Just give the command."

"Take your possessions and go to Beacon Academy." The guard ordered. "Your path has been prepared and you will encounter no resistance. When you arrive, I will have further instructions."

"Yes master." Rosso said. The guard smiled before collapsing to the ground unconscious. Rosso geared up and walked out of the prison. All the doors were open and all the guards were unconscious. He would not fail this time. He would have his new world. He would see his brother again.

***I've been dealing with some stuff lately, so if you like my writing, please let me know. It would really mean a lot. If you don't like it, I don't know why you're still reading, but sorry I guess.***


	5. Jaundiced View

***Special thanks to /u/Goose_Is_Awesome over on reddit for inspiring the concept behind Jaune's shadow world. It's just the delightfully evil kind of idea I love. Why just have your shadow berate you when the whole world can be attacking your insecurities?***

Chapter 5

*Recommended Music: _Backside of the TV_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

"This tower does seem like the one that appeared with the Red Rog." Naoto said. "In my investigations of the Shadow Operatives, I found files that talked about a tower like this called Tartarus that appeared during another incident. I wonder if all three are related."

"The best way to find that out is to get to the top right?" Kanji asked. "If there are shadows here we should clear them out anyway."

"We need to be cautious." Yukiko cautioned. "Aigis suggested there could be more to this than we realize. She has more experience with this sort of thing than we do and I think we should take her warning to heart."

"Rise, can you sense anything?" Yu asked.

"It's hard to detect anything up there." Rise admitted. "There seems to be some kind of interference. It gets worse the farther up I try to scan. Maybe if we climb higher I can get a better idea of what we're facing. I can tell you that there are a few powerful shadows not too far up."

"Maybe the shadows are causing interference." Teddie suggested. "If we defeat them it might help."

"Alright then, let's do it!" Chie said excitedly. "The Team's back together for another case!"

* * *

"So this Jaune's world huh?" Ruby said. "It seems a bit…out of character." Team RWBY, joined by Aigis, Labrys and Helia stood in what appeared to be the main hall of a museum. A large sign read 'Remnant Museum of History' in bold letters. "I thought it would be less, I don't know, serious. Except when he was having trouble with Cardin, he's always been such a goofy and carefree guy."

"He's definitely in here." Helia confirmed. "Maybe there's more to him than you think."

"Welcome to the Remnant Museum of History." A voice said, seemingly from all around them. It sounded like an elderly man. "I will guide you on your tour through this fine educational establishment." The monotonous voice continued. "Please proceed to the Hall of Weapons, where you can see and learn about the arms of Hunters from throughout the ages."

The voice was strange, but there was nothing they could do about it. The group walked through the hall, paying little attention to the historical artifacts that lined it, until they reached an archway. At the top, a sign read 'Hall of Weapons' in blue letters, surrounded by depictions of various types of armament. It was the only way forward, so they proceeded inside. Ruby was fascinated by the weapons that lined the path. Most were antiques, but some looked entirely modern and highly complex. Even if they were not real, they were still interesting to her. Finally, the narrow corridor ended in another archway. A sign read 'Weapons Demonstration Arena: Employees Only' in bold red letters. Beyond was a dimly lit, large open area at the center of which was what looked like a giant metal sculpture of a Hunter in heavy armor.

"I think that sculpture's a shadow." Helia said. "I can't get a clean scan with my Persona, but it doesn't seem right."

"There is certainly something strange about it." Aigis confirmed. "My sensors cannot confirm it as a shadow however." She boldly walked up to the metal arrangement and closely examined it. "Very strange."

Suddenly, bright lights filled the space. There was a cheer and to the group's surprise; they saw a crowd of people seated on a balcony that surrounded the room. "Who are they?" Weiss asked with alarm.

"They're not shadows." Helia said.

"So what are they?" Weiss asked.

"Maybe they're another part of the illusion." Yang suggested. "This whole place is artificial, why wouldn't they be."

"Welcome to the Weapons Demonstration Arena!" The voice from earlier said with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. "You're all in for a real treat. Today we have the honor of hosting special guests who will give us a practical demonstration of modern weaponry. What better way to learn about these fine implements of warfare than to see them in action?"

The metal figure in the center of the room came to life, drawing a gigantic sword and pointing it threateningly at the group. "My scan's clear now, it's a shadow!" Helia warned.

*Recommended Music: _Red Like Roses (Red Trailer)_ (RWBY V1 Soundtrack)*

"Our first demonstration is of Crescent Rose." The voice continued. "This weapon is a custom made High-Caliber Sniper-Scythe. It's fascinating, truly fascinating." Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose and took aim at the shadow. She emptied her clip at the shadow, each bullet denting its metal exterior and causing it to stagger. Yang charged at the shadow and leapt into a powerful punch. Before reaching her target, she slammed into an invisible wall and tumbled backward in a daze. "One at a time, please." The voice said. "Your turn will come."

"Looks like we've got to play along." Labrys observed. "Go get 'em Ruby!" Ruby slammed another clip into Crescent Rose, but instead of firing at the shadow, she turned it around and used the force to propel herself at her adversary. She spun through the air, her scythe clashing with the shadow's sword, pushing both combatants away from each other. The shadow swung its massive blade at Ruby as she ducked out of its path. She summoned Izanagi. The shadow was metal, so maybe it was vulnerable to electricity. The Persona unleashed a bolt of lightning at the shadow, but it reflected back at Izanagi, luckily immune to the element.

"Please, we are here to see your weapon." The voice implored. The shadow swung its sword at Ruby again. This time, she deflected the strike and dove toward the shadow. She hooked Crescent Rose behind one of its legs and fired, the recoil slamming the scythe into the shadow's calf and pulling it off balance. As it stumbled, Ruby leapt and swung her weapon around, slamming the blunt side into its chest. The shadow slammed to the ground on its back. Ruby jumped onto its chest and positioned Crescent Rose around its neck. With a squeeze of the trigger, the metallic shadow was beheaded. The shadow dissolved and disappeared.

"Bravo, good show!" The voice called. "Now, for our next demonstration!" Another giant metallic shadow rose from the floor to take the place of its recently defeated predecessor as the crowd roared. "Our next weapon is Myrtenaster, a Multi Action Dust Rapier. What can this elegant weapon do?"

*Recommended Music: _Mirror Mirror (White Trailer)_ (RWBY V1 Soundtrack)*

Weiss stepped forward and faced the shadow. She was getting a bit tired of fighting giant metal men, but it had to be done. Using her glyphs, she raced forward aiming Myrtenaster at the center of the shadow's torso. The blade hit its mark, bent slightly and then slid to the side without doing more than denting the metal. The shadow grabbed her with its free hand and slammed her into the ground. It brought its sword down at her but she rolled out of the way before freezing the shadow's blade in place. As the shadow struggled to free its sword, Weiss used it as a ramp and ran up its arm. She slashed and stabbed at the shadow's head and neck. It grabbed her again and threw her across the room before wrenching its sword free.

Weiss cycled Myrtenaster and launched a line of flame at the shadow. It recoiled from the attack but quickly returned to the offensive, taking a massive swing at her with its blade. She bent over backwards to avoid the attack, cycled Myrtenaster again, and hit the off-balance shadow with a blast of wind. The shadow clattered to the ground and Weiss hurriedly froze its limbs to the ground. She raced to its head and using Myrtenaster as a lever, pried its head off. The shadow dissolved and disappeared, only to be replaced by yet another.

"Excellent, a true display of skill and resourcefulness!" The voice yelled. The crowd cheered. "Next up we have Gambol Shroud, a unique Variant Ballistic Chain Scythe. Let's see what this unorthodox weapon is capable of."

*Recommended Music: _From Shadows (Black Trailer)_ (RWBY V1 Soundtrack)*

Blake charged the shadow, firing Gambol Shroud as she closed in. The shadow attempted to crush her with a vertical slash, but she dove out of the way, leaving an elemental copy behind. When the shadow's blade made contact, the decoy exploded, temporarily blinding the shadow. Before it could recover, Blake was behind it, slashing away at its joints. The shadow swept its arm backwards in retaliation, but Blake dodged this attack as well, leaving behind another decoy. This time, it froze on contact, trapping the shadow's arm in the process. Blake attacked its exposed shoulder and after a determined assault, managed to sever the giant's arm.

The shadow quickly swung its sword around, too fast for Blake to dodge. She managed to get Gambol Shroud in front of herself to block, but the force sent her tumbling to the ground. The shadow, enraged by the loss of its limb, charged at her and slammed its sword down with a powerful lunge. It only hit a decoy though and Blake managed to get behind it. She threw Gambol Shroud's blade, extended on its ribbon, and it hooked around the shadow's leg. With a powerful tug, she pulled it to the ground, the shadow slamming down on its face. Its back was not nearly as armored as the front, and she slashed away, ripping metal apart until the shadow dissolved and disappeared. Again, it was soon replaced by another.

"That was quite an interesting use of an interesting weapon." The voice said. The crowd roared in agreement. "Now, our fourth weapon comes in a pair. Introducing Ember Celica, Dual Ranged Shot Gauntlets!"

*Recommended Music: _I Burn_ (RWBY V1 Soundtrack)

"It's about time." Yang said with annoyance. She ran straight at the shadow and leapt into the air, her fist ready to deliver a powerful blow. The shadow was ready and smashed its sword into her as she sailed into range. Yang flew across the room and slammed into the wall. She jumped back to her feet, her eyes red and her hair aflame. With an angry yell she charged back at the shadow. It swung its sword at her again but this time she slid under it before jumping up onto the massive shadow's shoulder. With one arm she grabbed it by the head and with the other delivered a series of powerful blows, using Ember Celica to enhance the power of each hit. With its free arm, the shadow grabbed her and threw her across the room.

Yang adjusted midair and landed on her feet. From watching the others it seemed the best strategy was to get the shadow off its feet. Once on the ground it would be more manageable. Yang raced toward the shadow which responded with a horizontal slash of its giant blade. Yang blocked the hit with one gauntlet and punched the sword away with the other, knocking the monster off balance. Yang got in close and punched the shadow repeatedly in the knee until the mechanical joint disintegrated. The shadow toppled. Yang kept up the pressure, jumping onto it and pummeling its head until it was crushed flat. The shadow dissolved and disappeared only for another to take its place.

"Brutal, but effective." The voice said. "Our next weapon is a High Pressure Chainsaw Flamethrower, Slash and Burn. Let's see how effective it is." The crowd cheered as Helia stepped forward to fight. She lowered her welder's-like mask over her face and charged.

As soon as Helia was within range she fired her flamethrower at the massive shadow, totally engulfing it. The shadow stumbled out of the fireball, flailing as it burned. Helia hit it with another blast, and though it was clearly distressed, the shadow kept advancing. Once it was close enough, it swung its sword at Helia who blocked it with her chainsaw. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed, and Helia was unable to resist the shadow's great strength. She was pushed back, her feet sliding across the floor as the shadow's sword continued to push her along. With Helia focused on the sword, the shadow lunged forward and punched her in the midsection with its free hand, knocking her to the ground.

The shadow lined up for a vertical slash with its sword, bring it crashing down at Helia. She caught the blade with her chainsaw, just barely resisting the strike. She rolled out of the way and let the sword slam into the ground, unbalancing the shadow. Too close for its sword to be effective, Helia blasted the shadow with her flamethrower until its torso glowed red-hot. She then plunged her chainsaw into the soft metal, easily mangling the shadow. It dissolved and disappeared.

"Things are really heating up." The voice said with a slight chuckle. Yang could not help but laugh at the pun. "Now, we have one final, special demonstration for you. It seems we've been graced with the presence of two weapons from another world! Together they will show you the best of what earth can devise." A cheer rose from the crowd as another shadow appeared; ready to fight the two mechanical maidens.

*Recommended Music: _Spirited Girl_ (Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

Aigis took aim and fired a volley at the shadow. The added power provided by the dust rounds Amber had provided seemed to have a serious effect as the shadow stumbled and struggled to block the onslaught. In a desperate attempt to end the attack, the shadow charged but Aigis was easily able to avoid it. She fired into the shadow's back, but it spun around with surprising speed and slammed its sword into her midsection. She was thrown a fair distance but mostly unhurt. The shadow charged again, swinging its sword wildly as it did. Aigis carefully aimed and shot the shadow in the knee. It tripped and slid to a stop on its knees. Seeing an opportunity, Labrys jumped high into the air and using the rocket boosters in her axe, launched herself straight at the shadow. With a single powerful slash from her axe, she cleaved the shadow in half from shoulder to hip. The two halves fell away from each other before the shadow dissolved and disappeared. Team RWBY took notice of the devastating attack. Their own assaults had been nowhere near as powerful.

"Very good, very good." The voice said. "That concludes the demonstration. On behalf of the museum I thank our talented guests for putting on such an entertaining and informative show. Now, if you would all proceed into the Hall of Heroes, we can continue the tour with an examination of some of the greatest Hunters and Huntresses in the history of Remnant." A door opened up at the far end of the room and a sign reading 'Hall of Heroes' lit up above it.

"I wonder how the others are doing." Ruby said as the group started to move on.

"I can call them with my Persona." Helia reminded her. "Rise, can you hear me?"

In their heads, they could all hear Rise reply. "I hear you. How are you guys doing?"

"We're alright." Helia said. "We just had a hell of a fight. How are things on your end?"

"It's been smooth sailing so far." Rise said. "We've run into a lot of weak shadows but they're not even a challenge." She paused for a moment. "Careful, that one's immune to electricity." She said to the Investigation Team without bothering to sever the connection with Helia. "There are a lot of them, but they're no big deal. I think we're closing in on a strong one though. This tower is just really confusing. It's like a maze."

"Okay, we'll let you know if anything comes up." Helia said as she withdrew her Persona.

"At least they're doing alright." Blake said. "This place is really bugging me though. Why would Jaune's subconscious create this place?"

"Well, he once told me his great-great-grandfather fought in The War." Ruby said. "Maybe he really wants to be a hero that lives up to his family's history."

"That would explain this part." Yang said. "There certainly does seem to be a focus on heroes." As they proceeded they walked past paintings and statues of famous Hunters and Huntresses from throughout the ages. Some of the names were familiar, famous heroes that were household names; others were more obscure, known only to the most learned, but no less heroic. The hall ended in another archway. The sign atop it read 'Fallen Hunters' Memorial'. The walls of the room beyond were covered with names and at its center was a huge stone statue. The statue had the appearance of a warrior, kneeling with its head down in prayer or contemplation, hands resting on the hilt of a sword that was stuck into the ground.

"This solemn place honors all the Hunters and Huntresses who lost their lives serving the people of Remnant." The voice explained. "Will our guests have their names added to the list?" The voice was suddenly very threatening, almost demonic. "Prepare yourselves or you will join the ranks of the fallen." The statue stood and raised its sword. Its look of sad contemplation was replaced by one of rage and hatred. It pointed its sword threateningly at the group as the path they had come from was blocked by metal bars.

* * *

"Something just doesn't feel right." Chie said with concern. "I can't explain it, but something about this place is definitely off."

"We're in a twisted tower full of shadows, of course something is wrong." Yosuke said condescendingly.

"I know that jerk!" Chie shot back. "I mean even for the shadow world something isn't right."

"I agree; there's definitely something weird going on." Yukiko said. "Maybe this place is the key to the whole thing."

"I wish I could find out more." Rise signed. "My Persona just isn't powerful enough to cut through all the interference. We've wiped out dozens of shadows and been exploring for hours, and it still isn't any better."

"If we keep going and killing shadows we'll find something eventually." Kanji said confidently. "We'll tear this place down if we have to." Naoto looked uneasy and Kanji immediately noticed. "What's up with you?"

"I just can't help but think about what Aigis told us." Naoto said. "What if this is a trap? What if by fighting the shadows and climbing the tower, we're actually bringing about something worse? Even when we dealt with the tower in the Red Fog, we were being forced to fight to siphon power away from our Personas. Maybe we're somehow contributing to the problem."

"Worrying about it isn't going to help." Kanji said. "It was rough but things worked out with that tower too. We'll keep kicking ass until we find out what's behind this whole thing, and then we'll kick its ass. The others are counting on us."

"Blunt, vulgar, and yet somehow inspiring." Naoto observed. "I still think we need to be extra cautious, but you're right. We have to keep at it, it's all we can do right now."

The group approached a set of stairs that led to the next floor. "Careful guys, there's a powerful shadow on the next floor." Rise warned. "There's more. Something about it is strange."

"I feel it too." Teddie added. "It's like I've felt the same presence before."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yosuke asked.

"I don't know yet." Teddie replied. "It kind of reminds me of the times when I first met you, Sensei and the others. It's been so long, I can't quite remember." Those times were full of good memories and bad for all of them. They hoped this would represent a good one, but they all knew it would not.

***Readers, how would you feel if I posted some double-length chapters? I'm pretty far ahead in terms of writing, but I don't want to stop or change my release schedule. I'd basically make 2 chapters into 1, making the total around 6,000-7,000 words. Please let me know what you think.***


	6. Facing the Past

Chapter 6

*Recommended Music: _F.O.E. _(Persona Q Soundtrack)*

Yang charged at the massive shadow, dodging a swing from its giant sword as she closed in. The statue-like shadow was at least three times taller than her, but Yang still assaulted it with her usual reckless abandon. She delivered a few Ember Celica-enhanced punches to its legs, but after grunting angrily, the shadow simply kicked her away. She tumbled across the ground and rolled to her feet, then charged back into the fray. She leapt into a punch, hitting the shadow in the center of its chest, but it was unmoved. An almost casual swipe of its free arm knocked her away for a second time.

"I don't think that's going to work." Blake advised as she fired a few shots at the shadow. They embedded in the shadow's surface and chipped off tiny bits of its stone exterior, but did no noticeable damage. Ruby flung herself toward the shadow, propelled by Crescent Rose and attempted to hook its leg as she sailed past. Her scythe found its mark but it just stopped her abruptly, the shadow not so much as stumbling. Ruby dove out of the way as the shadow slammed its sword down on the spot where she had been standing. She fired a few parting shots that had the added effect of accelerating her escape.

The group continued to circle as the shadow lumbered toward them. It was large and dangerous, but too slow to cut off their movement. Aigis fired every type of dust round she had at the shadow with an added boost from Weiss' glyphs. The effect was always the same though, nothing but superficial damage. The only encouraging aspect was that at the very least the shadow was not immune. They could wear it down eventually, if it did not wear them down first. Using her glyphs, Weiss tried to freeze the shadow's colossal limbs in place so they could attack without fear of a counter, but the massive beast easily shattered her snares and continued its methodical approach.

Yang again attempted to hit the shadow up close, this time leaping onto its shoulder to deliver several punches to its head, but it just shook her off. Before she could recover, a devastating swing of its sword sent her flying across the room and into a wall. Enraged and empowered, Yang charged again with her Persona Turan joining the assault with repeated blasts of fire. The shadow, clearly discomfited, thrashed about until it managed to pound Yang straight into the ground. Knowing she was reaching her breaking point, she retreated before the shadow could attack again.

"Nothing works on this thing." Ruby complained. "Wind and ice can't even push it back. We need to try something new."

Labrys stepped in front of the others. "Get down!" She warned. As the others dropped to the floor, Labrys began spinning around, picking up speed with the help of her rocket-propelled axe. Her hand detached from the end of her arm and extended on a chain, the axe at the end swinging in a wider and wider, faster and faster circle until it finally reached the shadow. Labrys' axe slammed into the shadow's non-sword arm with tremendous force. Shards of stone flew off and a small but distinct crack appeared at its shoulder. Labrys reeled in her hand, bringing the axe back with it. "Focus on the crack!" She commanded.

With Weiss powering up their shots with her glyphs, Aigis, Ruby and Blake concentrated their fire on the shadow's damaged shoulder. The shadow recoiled in pain as its arm was blown off. The shadow quickly regrouped and renewed its advance, swinging its sword wildly as the group scattered before regrouping on the other side of the room. "That's good but we need to do better." Blake said. "I don't think we can keep this up."

Aigis thought for a moment. "I have an idea." She reported. "Yang, hit the shadow with fire from our Personas. Helia, use your flamethrower. Weiss and Ruby, when I tell you, hit it with ice. Labrys, keep it occupied with traps from your Persona. Blake, get ready to charge it." The others nodded and prepared for the assault. "Fire! Now!" Aigis commanded. Yang and Helia created a firestorm around the shadow while Labrys' Persona Ariadne laid traps on the ground around it. As the shadow stumbled blindly through the flames, it was assailed by spears that lanced upward from the ground, courtesy of Labrys' Persona. The beast stumbled back and forth trying to find a clear path as the flames continued to heat it up. "Fire, stop. Ice, attack!" Aigis yelled. Weiss used her glyphs and Persona to blast the shadow with ice while Ruby and Aigis joined in, both utilizing the Persona Isis. The shadow stumbled around as a series of loud pops filled the air as the sudden change in temperature caused the stone to crack from thermal shock. "Everyone, hit it, now!" Aigis ordered.

The group charged the weakened shadow, hitting it with everything in their repertoire. The cracks expanded and large chunks of the shadow began to break off. The shadow crumbled until it finally dissolved and disappeared. "It seems our guests are made of sterner stuff than those that came before them." The mysterious voice returned, no longer threatening, just back to its original monotone. "Now, if you would kindly proceed into the next wing, you'll learn about one of the most illustrious families in the history of Remnant."

Opposite from where they had entered, a doorway opened up. Above it was a sign reading 'The Arc Family' in large yellow letters. "I have a feeling I know where this is going." Blake said. The moved on into the next wing of the museum. The walls were lined with portraits of imposing warriors, all bearing a distinct familial resemblance to Jaune. Along with their given names, many had impressive sobriquets like 'The Yellow Death' or 'The Iron-Willed' among others.

"For generations the Arc family have produced some of the bravest and most skilled Hunters in all of Remnant." The voice said as the group neared another archway. "There is but one stain on their honor…" Just ahead was another large, open area. Above the entrance was a sign that read 'Jaune Arc, The Disgrace'.

* * *

After ascending the stairs the Investigation Team found themselves in an unusually dark area. So far they had had no trouble seeing as they had fought their way through the Tower. Here though, it was too dark to see more than the vague outlines of the objects that filled the space. Like any shadow world, the Tower was creepy, but the darkness only made it worse. Fear of the dark is one thing, knowing there is definitely something dangerous in that dark is quite another.

"There's a shadow here, I can feel it." Rise warned. "It's powerful, but there's something strange about it too."

"I think I know what it is." Teddie announced. "It smells kind of like one of the ladies who was thrown into the TV before you guys started rescuing people."

"Which one?" Yosuke asked, his voice shaking. Deep down, he knew the answer.

"Hey Hana-chan." A familiar voice called from the darkness. "Still not over me after all this time huh?"

"Saki…" Yosuke started. "Why? Why you? Why now?" The area was suddenly filled with light, revealing a twisted version of the Konishi family liquor store. Sitting there on a keg was Saki, or at the very least a shadow representing her.

"Good questions." The shadow mocked him. "I could ask the same about you. Why did you have to show up in Inaba with Junes? Why then? It was just in time to ruin my family and ruin my life. You only made it worse. I could have dealt with the resentment from my family and the judgement of our neighbors, but then I had to deal with you too. God you're annoying. Moron, like I'd ever want to be around someone as lame as you."

"I've heard it all before." Yosuke said. "If you're trying to make me mad you'd better find some new material."

"But why would I need new material when the old still bothers you?" The shadow asked. "You can put on a brave face and act tough, but you're still not over it, still not over me. But hey, if you insist." The shadow laughed evilly. "My death was the best thing that ever happened to you. You don't like to think that, but you can't help it. If I'd been alive, you never would have entered the TV world. You never would have gotten your powers. Your friends? Say goodbye. You'd be back to your boring, insufferable self again."

"Let's shut her up already!" Chie said, starting to run at the shadow.

Yu grabbed her shoulder. "Wait. He needs to face this."

"But…" Chie protested.

"He'll be fine." Yu said.

"You even got to be a hero." The shadow persisted. "Tell me you'd be better off with me alive. Go ahead. You don't believe it for a second. After all, it's all about you. You only wanted to 'avenge' me because it would break the monotony of your pathetic, boring life. It gave people a reason to hang around with you. It gave you meaning, at least the appearance of meaning. You still had a hard time accepting that you weren't the big hero. You put on a good façade, but the resentment just filled you. The new guy comes in and steals your thunder immediately. Then again, what chance did you really have in the first place? He's everything you're not. He's interesting, popular, strong, and a real hit with the ladies. You feel that way, even now after everything you've been through."

"That's not true." Yosuke argued.

"What?" The shadow countered. "My description or that you feel that way. There's no point in lying, I know everything you're thinking. At least last time Yu and Teddie were the only ones to see the darkness in you. Now the gang's all here. You could just die from the embarrassment."

"Enough!" Yosuke yelled. "Fine, I do suck, a lot. I'm a real piece of shit. I hate myself, I resent my friends and sometimes I even feel like Saki's death was a good thing. I admit it. But you know what? I accept that I'm a total ass. So what if I feel that way or I'm not as cool as I want to be? It doesn't matter because with their help, I can get over it all. I've seen the error of my ways, and even if I still have really shitty thoughts sometimes, at least I can admit it. At least I feel bad about it. The fact that you'd bring it up proves that much. I do my best to be the best person I can be, and that's all anyone can ask. It's not some part of me I'm going to hide away and deny; it's a part of me I'm trying to fix. Now, since you're a shadow, I assume we'll be fighting each other. You're not going to get to me, so let's just get this over with."

*Recommended Music: _The Hero From Junes_ (Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

"Have it your way." The shadow sneered. "I bet you expect me to transform into some horrible monster. What fun would that be? Particularly when I can do this, Yamata no Orochi!" A gigantic eight headed serpent appeared above Shadow Saki.

"Is that a Persona?" Yukiko asked.

"I don't think it's the same." Rise said. "Shadows shouldn't be able to wield Personas. It seems like a part of the shadow itself."

"Whatever it is we have to fight it." Yosuke said with determination. "I am getting really sick of having to fight familiar faces." Given the trials the Investigation Team had faced recently, they all felt the same way. He summoned his Persona but it was almost immediately grabbed in one of the serpents' coils. Yosuke groaned painfully as the monster squeezed him. Shadow Saki just laughed. Yukiko used her Persona to burn one of the monster's heads. It gave an angry hiss before falling limply to the ground. The shadow retaliated with a blast of ice and Yukiko was knocked unconscious. Kanji and Yu tried to counter with electricity, bit it had no effect. The creature simply wiped them out with a casual blast of wind. To Teddie's dismay, ice attacks seemed to have no effect, and it was all his Persona could do just to dodge the shadow's counterstrikes.

Naoto's Persona zipped between the shadow's heads, making sudden attacks before quickly dodging out of the way. Soon, several of the heads were completely focused on the threat, lunging at the Persona but not nearly fast enough to catch it. It flew between two heads, slashing both as it passed. The two tried to counter but only succeeded in slamming into each other. The resulting shock seemed to stagger the entire beast and gave Chie an opening. Her Persona flew in and slashed mightily at the head still squeezing the life out of Yosuke's Persona. As they recovered, other heads tried to chase off the attacker, but Chie's Persona fought them off while continuing to work on freeing Takehaya Susano-o. Finally Yosuke's Persona was released as the serpent reeled from the sustained assault.

"It's time to end this." Yosuke declared. He concentrated deeply and his Persona unleashed a concentrated blast of wind directly at the serpent. It writhed in pain before it faded to static and disappeared, leaving Shadow Saki on its knees in pain and exhaustion. Yosuke carefully approached the wounded monster. "I never got to say goodbye to Saki. You're a poor substitute, but you'll have to do. Even though you hated me, I still loved you, and that's never going to change. I'm sorry. Goodbye." He turned around with tears in his eyes and started to walk away as his Persona annihilated the shadow with a focused blast of wind. It dissolved and disappeared.

Teddie had been busy healing everyone and getting the injured back on their feet. "We're all good to go." He announced with satisfaction.

"Now's not the time Ted." Kanji admonished.

*Recommended Music: _I'll Face Myself_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

Yu walked up to Yosuke and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine." Yosuke replied. "This isn't new stuff. I've gone over it all in my head for a long time. Maybe now I have some closure. It's just a shame I had to get it in front of everyone. That shadow was right about one thing, the embarrassment is real."

"We're all here for you." Yukiko said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I know." Yosuke said. "Let's just get moving."

"The path ahead is blocked." Chie reported. She stood in front of a staircase leading to the next level. Her hand pressed against a barrier no one could see.

"Maybe it's for the best." Yu said. "Let's head back to the entrance and wait for the others to finish their task. I think we've all earned a little rest." The others agreed and descended the stairs they had used to reach the floor. To their surprise, instead of bringing them down one level, it returned them to the portal at the base of the Tower.

* * *

Jaune stood there in the center of the area, but he was not alone. "Your family has such an amazing history." A familiar voice said. "It's so impressive."

"Thanks Weiss, that's…unusually nice of you." Jaune replied. Team RWBY, Helia, Aigis and Labrys looked on as Jaune conversed with his shadow. To their surprise it had taken the form of Weiss. "So, you want to go somewhere? We could have dinner, see a movie."

"Are you serious?" The real Weiss said. Jaune turned to look and did a double-take.

"If you're over there, than who's this?" Jaune asked, clearly confused.

"Be careful Jaune, that's not Weiss." Ruby warned. They had never discussed shadows with anyone from JNPR, so she would need to explain the situation in a way he would understand. "That's a…shape-shifting monster." She thought that would get the point across.

"Really?" Jaune asked. "Oh man, I knew she was being too nice."

"Too nice?" The shadow said. "I can fix that. About your impressive family, how in the world did they end up with you? Are you adopted or something?"

"I've asked myself many times." Jaune admitted. "No, I'm not adopted, just a bit unique I guess." He said with a laugh. He seemed to be having a hard time accepting that he was not talking to the real Weiss.

"You're so pathetic." The shadow said. "Even with Pyrrha's help you're still a terrible fighter. It's a wonder you haven't been killed yet. It's only a matter of time don't you think." Jaune thought that was a bit harsh, but he could not quite deny it. He was certainly nowhere near as skilled as the rest of his team or indeed just about all the students at Beacon. "You're desperate to live up to the family name, but you'll never be anything other than a stain on their reputation." Jaune could not understand how she knew that worried him. "It doesn't help that you're an idiot too. You're completely oblivious. How could you not see that I have no interest in you at all? You're just a constant annoyance and I really wish you'd just leave me alone."

"One day I'll win you over." Jaune said confidently.

"Not going to happen." The real Weiss said. The others in the group stared daggers at her. "Alright, not the time."

"Plus, how could you not see how interested Pyrrha is in you." The shadow continued. "You'd have to be braindead not to notice. It may have hit you just how lonely she is, but you still can't see how much she wants you."

"Nah, she's just being friendly." Jaune said. He did not sound so sure.

"You're breaking her heart." The shadow said. "The pain you put her through must be excruciating. You seem desperate for any other girl but don't notice her at all. You torture her. Deep down you must know that." Jaune had no answer. What if that was true? That would make him a pretty awful person. "I know what you're thinking, and you are a terrible person."

"What?" Jaune was surprised. "How?"

"Let's face it, you're a fraud." The shadow said. "You shouldn't even be at Beacon. You showed up at the foremost combat school in the kingdom without any talent and without an Aura? I wonder how you managed to get in." The shadow gave him a knowing look before waving its arm at the group. "I bet a lot of people wonder the same thing. Maybe we should tell them."

"Just stop it." Jaune demanded. "Why are you doing this? Why did you drag me to this horrible place? The whole thing is just taunting me constantly."

"You don't know?" The shadow scoffed. "This place was created by your own mind. It's a product of your own thoughts. I am too. You know the truth and you know you deserve to suffer, so here we are."

"That's it, I'm leaving." Jaune said shakily with a mix of anger and fear. "Guys, let's go." He started to walk toward Team RWBY and the others.

"Not so fast." The shadow called after him. "Your suffering is incomplete. Your execution awaits." The shadow morphed into a giant and devilish version of Jaune. The word 'unworthy' was written across its chest-plate in blood with the word 'liar' smeared on its shield. Glowing red eyes, a twisted smile and bloodstained hair completed the look. "Behold, your true inner self!"


	7. Awakening

***Double-length chapters all this week. Probably back to normal next week.***

Chapter 7

*Recommended Music: _I'll Face Myself -Battle-_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

"Oh come on!" Jaune shouted as he stumbled away from the thirty foot tall monster. He tried to run but clumsily tripped over his own feet. The shadow took the opportunity to slam its sword down on him. It struck him dead center, but there was a flash of blinding light and the sword just bounced off. Jaune looked at the sword, back at himself and then at the shadow. He laughed uneasily before fainting. Ruby rushed forward and scooped him up in a blur of rose petals, carrying him away from his shadow as it recovered from the shock of its initial attack.

The shadow was much quicker than its size would imply. It charged at the group, lowering its shield and slamming it into Helia who was not fast enough to get out of the way. She tumbled backwards, rolled and recovered to her feet, blasting the shadow with her flamethrower. It struggled to block the fire with its shield and retreated as it beat out the lingering flames on its arm. The shadow grunted and slammed its sword into the ground. It was briefly surrounded by a red-tinted dome before the sight faded. Weiss cycled Myrtenaster and lanced a line of fire at the shadow. The attack broke up on the now invisible barrier as the shadow laughed in satisfaction.

"It's immune to fire now." Helia warned. Yang charged the shadow, ducking under a swing of its sword before crashing into its leg. The shadow stumbled and fell to a knee, allowing Yang to jump up and deliver an Ember Celica-boosted punch to its face. The recoil pushed her into a backflip away from the shadow, and this gave it time to bring its shield around. Yang could not dodge the attack while midair and was sent flying across the room. The shadow attempted to pursue, but Ruby blasted it with wind from her Persona Summer Rose. Clearly in pain, the shadow reeled before slamming its sword down again. A green-tinted dome surrounded it and faded. Ruby's next wind attack did not reach the target, stopped by the unseen shield.

"I think it makes itself immune to any elemental attacks we hit it with." Blake said. The shadow charged at Ruby, but planting one end in the ground, Blake used Gambol Shroud, extended on its ribbon, to trip the shadow. It crashed to the ground, landing on its face with an angry growl. Using her glyphs and Persona, Weiss started to encase the prone shadow in ice. Ruby and Aigis each summoned Isis and joined in, completely surrounding the shadow in a frozen prison. The combatants took a moment to catch their breath. The respite was short-lived as the shadow exploded out of the icy trap, and slamming its sword down, generated a blue-tinted barrier.

Labrys ran at the shadow, swinging her axe with a boost from its rockets as she leapt into the air. The shadow blocked with its shield and Labrys was deflected to the ground. She landed on her feet just in time to use her axe to block a vertical slash from the shadow's sword. In a test of strength, the shadow attempted to force its sword down into her as she held it up with her axe. It was a complete stalemate. Aigis took the opportunity to unload her guns into the distracted shadow while Team RWBY formulated a plan.

"It just makes itself immune to whatever we hit it with, and it's too dangerous to fight up close." Weiss said. "What should we do?"

"Well, we've only got electricity left." Ruby observed. "We've got to take it down too fast for it to protect itself."

"And how are we going to do that?" Weiss asked.

The shadow finally gave up on crushing Labrys with its sword and simply swept her aside with its shield. Labrys struggled back to her feet. "Combine your attacks or somethin'." Labrys advised. "It worked with fire and wind, try somethin' else."

Aigis continued to shoot the shadow. It charged her, but she deftly avoided the attack, allowing Labrys to attack it from behind. It spun around, slashing its sword at the robotic sisters. Aigis ducked the swipe while Labrys leapt over it. "We will not be able to keep it busy indefinitely." Aigis warned. "Our attacks are not effective. You must act a plan quickly." Labrys pressed her attack but the shadow connected with a powerful kick. Labrys flew through the air and slammed into a wall. She did not get back up.

Jaune regained consciousness in time to witness the chaotic fight. "I'm so sorry for all this." He said. "This is all my fault."

"Not now!" Weiss shouted at him. "We don't have time for your self-pity. Shut up or fight it." Jaune looked at his weapons and frowned. Maybe he was useless. He certainly was not going to help in this fight.

"I've got it!" Ruby shouted. "Weiss and Aigis, I need you to make as much ice as possible." Weiss nodded and readied herself while Aigis continued to distract the shadow. "Yang and Helia, melt the ice." They were ready. "Now, do it!" Using their Personas, Weiss and Aigis created towering walls of ice around the shadow. It punched and kicked at the formations, but they quickly replaced them. Yang and Helia burned away at the walls and the shadow was soon soaked and standing in a large puddle. "Aigis, get back." Ruby warned. "Izanagi!" The Persona flew into the air above them before hitting the shadow with a powerful blast of electricity. The shadow writhed as electricity coursed through its body, aided by the extra conductivity provided by the water. With a scream it fell flat on its back, smoking. It returned to its original form, again taking on the appearance of Weiss.

The shadow ran up to Jaune and took him hostage. "Stay back or I'll kill him." The shadow warned as it put its sword to his throat. The shadow's eyes darted back and forth as the group carefully surrounded them.

"This sucks." Jaune said sadly. "I'm sorry Weiss." In a flash he knocked the shadow's sword away, drew his own and swung it around, cutting halfway through the shadow's torso in a single fluid motion. He lost his grip on the sword and stumbled back, staring at his own hands. "What have I done?" He dropped to his knees.

The shadow stood motionless with a look of shock on its face. "But you're weak." The shadow said weakly. "How did…" It abruptly dissolved and disappeared, Jaune's sword clattering to the ground.

"Are you crying?" The real Weiss said with disdain. "We told you over and over it wasn't really me."

Jaune looked up with a teary smile. "Yeah, sorry. You came to save, you really do care!"

"Don't read anything into this." Weiss said indignantly. "I wouldn't have come if they hadn't made me." With a huff she stomped away.

"Shot down again." Jaune said with disappointment. Suddenly, Jaune was engulfed in a purple light. A tarot card descended from above and shattered in front of him. Above him, the visage of an anthropomorphic fox in an approximation of Jaune's armor appeared. "Reynard." Jaune whispered the name of his Persona. He then fell unconscious.

"Well, I guess we should get out of here." Ruby said. "Let's get Jaune back to his room to rest." Yang nodded and effortlessly tossed him over her shoulder. "Is everybody alright?"

"I'm gonna' need some repairs." Labrys admitted. "Nothin' Aigis can't handle though."

"We should regroup with the others." Aigis advised. The others agreed and departed Jaune's shadow world.

* * *

Team RWBY, Helia, Aigis, Labrys and Jaune exited the portal. The Investigation Team was waiting at the entrance. "The next verse of that poem thing lit up so we figured you were finished." Chie explained.

"Is he going to be okay?" Yukiko asked, gesturing toward the still unconscious Jaune.

"He just needs rest." Blake replied. "He got his Persona."

"Why's she so angry?" Rise asked as Weiss stomped back to the dorms.

"She doesn't like it when Jaune hits on her." Yang answered. "Also, his shadow took her form, and he kind of stabbed it in the chest. I can't imagine that helped." She paused before pointing to Yosuke. "What's your problem?"

"I'm fine; we just met a shadow designed for me." Yosuke said. He was clearly trying to keep up his carefree façade, but was doing a poor job. "I'm going to head back. I need some rest. You guys coming?" The Investigation Team followed except for Yu who remained behind.

"The shadow took the form of a girl he liked who was killed in the incident we dealt with back in Inaba." Yu explained once Yosuke was out of earshot. "He'll be alright. He just has a lot to think about."

"If you don't mind, I'm getting a bit tired of carrying this guy so I'm heading back too." Yang said. She walked toward the dorms and Blake went with her.

"Did you make any progress in the tower?" Aigis asked.

"We did, but our path ahead was blocked." Yu replied. Aigis briefly had a look of concern on her face. It was sounding more like Tartarus. The remaining four decided to head back for the night.

* * *

"Thank you for interrupting your duties to speak to me." Ozpin said as Glynda walked into his office. He did not look away from the window. "There's something I need you to do."

"I already know what this is about." Glynda said. "Something strange is going on here. The other professors have noticed too. I think James might know as well."

"Yes, there is definitely something odd happening at Beacon." Ozpin said. "Unfortunately, it seems to be something we cannot experience ourselves. It's frustrating to have a problem I can't solve myself."

"What are we going to do about it?" Glynda asked. "I assume that's why you called me here."

"We may not be able to do anything, but there are some who can." Ozpin replied. "We should see to it that they have our support. I need you to bring in Helia's two 'Huntresses' along with the eight 'guests' that have been hanging around the campus."

"Should I bring them to the interrogation room?" Glynda asked.

"No, this will not be an interrogation." Ozpin answered. "Still, be sure to bring along what support you deem necessary in case they resist. I doubt they would, but we shouldn't take chances."

"Of course." Glynda said. "You can never be too careful with liars and trespassers." She started to leave.

"Oh, one more thing." Ozpin said. Glynda stopped just short of the door. "I know it's not necessarily your nature to do so, but if they're cooperative try to be nice to them. We need them on our side." Glynda sighed and left.

* * *

"I thought Dr. Oobleck's class was very interesting." Aigis said. The others busily ate lunch around her. "I did not understand much of what he was talking about as I have little knowledge of this world's history, but it seems your history is rather exciting."

"He seemed to really enjoy teachin' it too." Labrys added. "He's got lots of energy."

"Yes, I wonder if it comes from something in his coffee." Aigis mused. "Caffeine is not enough to explain his behavior, perhaps it is some sort of chemical."

"How's Jaune doing?" Labrys asked.

"Helia's keeping an eye on him." Ruby said. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, she said Amber came by with more bullets for Aigis." She went back to eating.

* * *

After finishing their classes, the Team RWBY, Aigis and Labrys headed back to the dorms. "Blake, may I speak with you in private?" Aigis asked as they arrived at the room. She nodded and the rest of Team RWBY headed inside without her.

"What is it?" Blake asked.

"In Dr. Oobleck's class, he mentioned the Faunus and an organization called the White Fang." Aigis said. "It seemed to make you uncomfortable, at least judging by the change in your physiological signs. Also, given the way you played with your bow, I have come to the conclusion that your extraneous ears have something to do with it. Is there something bothering you that you'd like to talk about?"

"So you know about the ears?" Blake sighed. "You guys are robots with who knows what sensors, so I guess I should have expected this. I'm a Faunus. To keep things simple, some people in this world have animal parts. I'm sure you've seen some around campus."

"Why hide it though?" Labrys asked.

"We're an oppressed minority." Blake replied. "There's a lot of prejudice towards the Faunus, and I'd like to avoid it if possible. So I pretend to be human. Only a few people here know the truth."

"That's horrible." Labrys said. "Nobody should have to hide who they are. I hate when people are mean for no good reason."

"What about the White Fang?" Aigis asked. "It seemed to distress you more than anything else."

"They're a Faunus extremist group." Blake explained. "They started out as a peaceful group calling for equal rights, but under the current leadership they've turned into terrorists and killers. I used to be a member, but I left them years ago. It still brings up bad memories."

"That is awful." Aigis said, frowning. "I am sorry if my questions have caused you pain."

"No, it's alright." Blake said. "I should have been more upfront with you both. It's a problem I have."

"If you ever want to talk about it, we're here for you." Labrys said, putting her hand on Blake's shoulder.

"Aigis and Labrys." A woman's voice said from behind them. "Please come with me." They turned around to see Glynda flanked by four armed guards. Aigis and Labrys knew Glynda as an instructor at Beacon, and she seemed to be the second in command of the academy. "The headmaster would like to speak to you."

"Are we under arrest?" Aigis asked. In her head she went over several possible escape strategies.

"No, but I have been ordered to bring you in by force if I must." Glynda replied. It was a thinly veiled threat. Aigis knew the guards would be no match for her and Labrys, but Glynda was tremendously powerful. "Please, I have no desire to fight, just come with me and everything will be fine."

Aigis glanced back and saw two more guards approaching from the other end of the hall. "Just go with her." Blake advised. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

Aigis nodded. "Very well, my sister and I will go with you." She conceded. Labrys handed her axe to one of the guards and the weight almost made him fall over. Another guard helped him carry it.

"Come this way, your other friends are waiting." Glynda said as she turned and led them away.

* * *

Aigis and Labrys were lead to an office on the top floor of the Tower. The Investigation Team was already there, seated in a row of chairs in front of an unoccupied desk. "Please take a seat." Glynda offered. There were two empty chairs to the mechanical maidens sat down as ordered. "The headmaster will be with you shortly." Without saying anything else, she walked out.

"How long have you guys been here?" Labrys asked.

"I don't know, maybe fifteen minutes." Yosuke answered. "This sucks. I never thought I'd be arrested on another planet."

"She said we weren't under arrest." Yukiko said.

"I know an arrest when I see one." Yosuke countered. "You usually don't get escorted by armed guards just to go have a chat." Their conversation was cut short when the door opened. An older looking man walked in and sat at the desk. Aigis and Labrys recognized him is the headmaster, Ozpin. Glynda followed him in and stood by the door.

"I'm sorry for the rather rude manner in which you were brought here." Ozpin apologized. "I felt it was too important to leave anything to chance however." He took a sip of his coffee. "Contrary to your apparent belief, the instructors here and I are not blind to what happens on this campus." He pointed to Labrys and Aigis. "At least the two of you secured proper authorization to be here, even if it was under false pretenses. The rest of you have been hanging around and asking a lot of questions. That of course made me quite suspicious. I take my position here very seriously. I've dedicated my life to protecting this academy and its students, so when something threatens them, I'm determined to get to the bottom of it." He stood up and walked to the window. "Something very strange is going on here, as I'm sure you're all aware. It started with wild rumors and escalated into bizarre occurrences and the disappearance of an entire team of students. Then a bunch of strangers show up, seemingly out of nowhere. It would make anyone suspicious."

"We're not the ones behind this." Chie protested.

"I know you mean no harm." Ozpin continued. "Originally, I had considered that you may be behind it, but then one of the missing students reappeared and your group kept checking on his wellbeing. Clearly you had something to do with his return." He sighed. "It's frustrating for me to have a problem here that I can't do anything to solve. Whatever is going on here at night, I can't experience it and neither can any of my staff. It seems, however, that you all, along with Team RWBY, can. It seems you've already started working on it."

"We could explain this to you." Naoto offered. "I warn you, you'll find it hard to believe."

"What?" Ozpin asked. "That you're from another world and have special powers that have also been acquired by Team RWBY. No, I think I can believe it." The group was stunned. He knew far more than they had anticipated. "Here's the situation. I need this problem solved. I don't know what the cause is and I can't directly intervene, but it the safety of the students hangs in the balance. You all are capable of helping, so I would like to help you. You are hereby all temporarily admitted as students of Beacon Academy."

"Are you sure this is wise?" Glynda asked.

Ozpin ignored the question. "I would break you into formal teams, but I feel like that would only reduce your effectiveness. I have prepared rooms for you and enrolled you in classes I think will help you. I also understand that most of you don't have proper weapons. I recommend that you talk to Team RWBY about correcting that, I'm sure they know _someone_ who would be willing to help. Now, if you could all wait outside, I'd like to interview each of you individually." The group was stunned. This was not something they had ever expected, particularly given the circumstances. Ozpin gestured toward Aigis with his mug. "Please remain; I'll talk to you first." The others filed out to wait for their turns.

* * *

"So, tell me about yourself." Ozpin said.

"My name is Aigis." She started. "Labrys is my sister. We are…" She was not sure what to say.

"You're both robots." Ozpin finished her sentence for her. "Why not tell me more about that?" He asked helpfully.

"We were built to fight shadows." Aigis said. "Shadows are monsters created by humanity's collective unconscious. The incident currently occurring here involves shadows, which is why my sister and I are here."

"How do you fight them?" Ozpin asked.

"I was constructed with built-in firearms." Aigis responded. She took off her gloves and her fingers transformed into gun barrels. "Do not be concerned, they are not loaded. We are also capable of wielding Personas. They are similar to shadows, but are under our control. They represent our strength of heart. I apologize, but it is difficult to explain. Allow me to demonstrate." Aigis stood up and stood behind her chair. "Pallas Athena!" Her Persona appeared above her. Ozpin did not seem surprised.

"Impressive." Ozpin said. "You're a machine, why were you made to look human?"

"We were created with a human form to facilitate the development of a human personality." Aigis explained. "The development of a personality and an ego is required to wield a Persona."

"I think that about does it for my questions." Ozpin said, standing up. He reached out and shook Aigis' hand. She felt a sudden surge of power and Ozpin's eyes briefly dilated before returning to normal. "Please enjoy your stay." He continued as if nothing had happened.

"What did you do?" Aigis asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ozpin said, obviously lying. "Now, be sure to speak to Glynda so she can issue a scroll to you. Thank you for speaking with me today."

* * *

"My name is Labrys." She said. "I'm Aigis' sister."

"Yes, she told me." Ozpin said. "And I already know about your being a robot, and about shadows and Personas."

"I guess you know all our secrets huh?" Labrys said uneasily. "Does it bother you?"

"Not at all." Ozpin replied. "No one can know everything, and learning new things makes life interesting. I must admit, I was surprised to find robots with personalities. Robots are common here, but robots that are so human are not."

"Yeah, we're not exactly common back home either." Labrys admitted. "Aigis and I are the last two left."

"You speak with an interesting accent." Ozpin observed. "Aigis has a very formal and somewhat robotic manner of speech. What accounts for the difference?"

"Her personality was developed from scratch." Labrys answered. "She just speaks the way she was taught to. My mind is based on a person's. She had an accent, so I have one too."

"Interesting, and why do you not use firearms?" Ozpin inquired.

"I'm an older model." Labrys said. "I was built without most of the safety measures my sister has, so they were afraid to give me guns."

"How did the whole group of you meet?" Ozpin asked.

"Well, most of them were friends already when they met me." Labrys said. "They fought shadows together and solved a serial murder case together. I was deactivated at the time. I was stolen and brought to their town where a shadow incident occurred when I woke up, and they saved me along with Aigis and some of her friends."

"How did you end up here in this world?" Ozpin asked.

"My sister ran into someone who helped her fight shadows in the past." Labrys replied. "She told us people in another universe needed our help and brought us here."

"Is she here now?" Ozpin inquired.

"No, she had to stay behind to keep the connection open." Labrys said.

"Alright then, I think that does it for this interview." Ozpin said, getting up from his chair. He shook Labrys' hand. She felt a wave of energy and saw Ozpin's eyes briefly dilate. "Please see Glynda before you go so she can give you your scroll." He said as if nothing had happened.

* * *

"I'm Yosuke Hanamura." He said. "Thanks for not, you know, kicking us out."

"Don't mention it." Ozpin said. "So, Yosuke, aside from fighting shadows and solving murders, what do you do?"

"I'm still a student and I work in retail." Yosuke said. "My father is a store manager."

"Something seems to be bothering you young man." Ozpin observed.

"Yeah, I guess so." Yosuke admitted. "Last night, we were fighting shadows here. The shadows sometimes do this thing where they take on a form and say things designed to hurt a specific person. This time, it took on the form of a girl I had a thing for who was murdered."

"If this is a normal thing shadows do, why does it concern you so much?" Ozpin asked.

"The things it said really bothered me too." Yosuke sighed. "It wouldn't be so bad if it just insulted me, but it hit on the exact elements of my personality that I don't like. It's sort of a specialty for shadows. It was a lot of stuff I thought I was over, but I guess I'm not."

"You have nothing to be ashamed about." Ozpin encouraged. "No one is perfect, and we all have parts of ourselves we wish weren't there. Just think, you're brave and selfless enough to travel to another universe to risk your life to save people you don't even know."

"I guess you're right." Yosuke said.

"This talk has been quite enlightening." Ozpin said. He stood and shook Yosuke's hand. Yosuke felt a burning sensation and saw Ozpin's eyes briefly dilate. "See Glynda so she can give you a scroll." Ozpin said as if nothing had happened.

"What the hell was that?!" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Please calm down." Ozpin said softly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

* * *

"Please, tell me about yourself." Ozpin said.

"I'm Chie Santonaka." She said. "I'm a high school student. I'm a big fan of martial arts and I want to be a police officer."

"Why that line of work?" Ozpin asked.

"I want to protect the people and places I care about." Chie answered confidently. "I realized that I was thinking too much about myself and not enough about my friends. They've always been so nice to me and I was kind of a jerk. I decided that the best way I could give back was to protect them."

"That's quite noble of you." Ozpin said. "Why come here?"

"Well, my friends wanted to go, and I couldn't let them go without me." Chie replied. "Helping them is way more important than anything I would be doing back home. Besides, if there are people I can help, no matter where they are, it would be wrong not to."

"Excellent." Ozpin said, starting to stand up. "Thank you for talking to me today." He shook Chie's hand; she felt a surge of power and saw his eyes dilate momentarily. "Please speak to Glynda to get your scroll." He said as if nothing had happened.

* * *

"My name is Yukiko Amagi." She said.

"Why do you fight Yukiko?" Ozpin asked.

"Well, I guess it's because I used to feel totally helpless." Yukiko explained. "Back then I felt trapped, in my town, in my job, and I didn't think I could do anything about it. Then, my friends showed me that I could do things on my own. Once I got my power, I knew I could help do something important. I didn't need someone to help me escape from my life, and I didn't really need to escape at all. I could be in control of my fate and change the world."

"Why did you feel helpless?" Ozpin inquired.

"Well, my family runs a historic in, and as the only child I was in line to inherit it." Yukiko explained. "I didn't have any choice in the matter. Everything was decided for me. I thought I didn't want to inherit the inn, but eventually I realized I just wanted to live on my own terms. Inheriting the inn was okay, just so long as it was my choice."

"Thank you for indulging me." Ozpin said as he stood. He shook Yukiko's hand and she felt a strange sensation overtake her and saw Ozpin's eyes dilate. "Talk to Glynda before you go so she can give you a scroll." He said as if nothing had happened.

* * *

"The name's Kanji Tatsumi." He said.

"You seem irritated." Ozpin observed.

"You would be too after being arrested." Kanji said. "You don't ever get used to it."

"I told you you're not under arrest." Ozpin said. "This isn't an interrogation either. That said, your comment implies you've been arrested before. Are you a troublemaker?"

"No, but look at me." Kanji said. "If somebody gets beat up or something is stolen, I'm the prime suspect."

"So why choose that appearance then?" Ozpin asked. "Surely you'd be better off if you looked less intimidating."

"It's a long story." Kanji said.

"I've got time." Ozpin pressed.

"This is really starting to feel like an interrogation." Kanji sighed. "Well, you may not be able to believe it, but I'm into knitting and sowing and stuff like that. People used to make fun of me for being girly, so I decided I'd show them how much of a man I am. My friends showed me I was wrong to act like something I'm not, but old habits die hard. They might accept me for who I am, but I still have to work on accepting myself."

"I commend your desire to do so." Ozpin said. "Your world and mine would be better places if we could accept each other and ourselves for who we are."

"You're talking about the Faunus aren't you?" Kanji asked, surprisingly observant. "Yeah, prejudice sucks, no matter what form it takes."

"You're not what I expected, but I suspect you hear that a lot." Ozpin said. "Thank you for this enlightening conversation." He stood and shook Kanji's hand. Kanji felt like he was being electrocuted and saw Ozpin's eyes dilate. "Just talk to Glynda before you leave so she can give you a scroll." Ozpin said as if nothing had happened.

"What the fuck?" Kanji said as he stumbled out.

* * *

"My name is Rise Kujikawa." She said. "I'm an idol."

"An idol?" Ozpin asked.

"I'm a singer and actress." Rise explained.

"How did you end up with this group?" Ozpin inquired. "Surely you're very busy."

"Well, I decided to quit because of the pressure." Rise said. "I returned home and was kidnapped. They rescued me. Eventually, my friends helped me see that I didn't really want to quit. I've been working on making a comeback, but I'm doing it on my own terms."

"That's wonderful." Ozpin said. "As an entertainer, fighting probably isn't exactly second nature for you. How do you compensate?"

"Well, I don't fight directly." Rise admitted. "My Persona has supportive abilities. It can scan for enemies and once it finds them, it can determine their weaknesses. I can also strengthen and even heal the others, but I don't have total control over my powers. I think cheering them on helps too. When I'm on stage, I definitely get a boost if the crowd is into it, so I try to give them the same feeling."

"It's been a pleasure." Ozpin said, standing. He shook Rise's hand and she felt a wave of energy pass over her as she saw Ozpin's eyes dilate. "Glynda will give you a scroll before you go." He said as if nothing had happened.

* * *

"And who or what are you?" Ozpin asked uneasily. The one in the bear suit had a distinctly different feel about him than the others.

"I'm Teddie!" He said excitedly. He opened up the suit to reveal the blond boy inside. "Ta-da!"

"You're different than the others." Ozpin observed. "You don't seem to have a care in the world, and you had a totally different…presence about you."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean." Teddie admitted. "I am different though. I was originally a shadow, but I developed human emotions. I took on this form so people would like me and grew a body so I could visit my friends in their world."

"Now I'm the one who doesn't quite understand." Ozpin said. "How did you grow a body?"

"I just really wanted to and tried really hard." Teddie explained. That did not really help explain things. "Everything in their world is so fun! In the shadow world, I was alone, but now I have so many friends."

Teddie reminded Ozpin of a small child. It was endearing to him, but he could see how it could be annoying. "Well Teddie, it's nice to meet you." Ozpin said as he stood. He shook Teddie's hand. Teddie felt weird and saw Ozpin's eyes dilate. "Talk to Glynda so she can give you a scroll." Ozpin said as if nothing had happened. Teddie walked out, happily humming to himself. "How strange." Ozpin said to himself.

* * *

"I am Naoto Shirogane." She said. "It's an honor to meet you."

"The honor is mine." Ozpin said. "The others seemed quite alarmed when I brought you all in, but you remained perfectly calm."

"I'm a detective." Naoto explained. "I've dealt with the authorities before and know the difference between an arrest and bringing in a potentially hostile witness for questioning."

"A detective at your age?" Ozpin asked.

"I come from a family of famous detectives." Naoto said. "I have been working on cases with my grandfather since I was very young."

"And your parents?" Ozpin inquired.

"They were killed in an accident." Naoto replied. "Before you ask, yes it was tough. I was alone for a long time. I didn't have a single friend until I met this group."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ozpin said. "Why do you dress like a man? With the exception of Teddie, your group all seem to be wearing school uniforms, but yours appears to be the male variant."

"For a long time I was ashamed of being a woman." Naoto admitted. "For one thing, it doesn't exactly fit the image of an ideal detective; at least not in my mind. It's also inconvenient in dealing with a male-dominated police force that already resents having to work with a child. A child and a woman? How would they take me seriously? With the help of my friends I got over it, and now I accept who I am. Old habits are hard to break though. I tried wearing a girl's school uniform once, but it made me feel…it didn't feel right."

"I'm glad to hear you've come to accept who you are." Ozpin said. "It's important for us all to accept ourselves, but I'm sure you know that already." Naoto nodded. "Well detective, that's all for now." He stood up and shook Naoto's hand. Naoto felt a surge of energy and saw Ozpin's eyes dilate. "Before you leave, speak to Glynda so she can issue you a scroll." He said as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you." Naoto said. "I think I know what you just did."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ozpin said.

* * *

"So we finally come to the leader." Ozpin said.

"Why do you say that?" Yu asked.

"It's obvious from the way you all interact." Ozpin replied. "Now, please tell me about yourself."

"I'm Yu Narukami." He said. "And yes, I guess I am their leader. It's not exactly by choice; I was just the first one to get my power."

"There's more to it than that." Ozpin observed. "I can feel tremendous power in you, but you also have a special presence about you."

"So I've been told." Yu said. "I don't think I'm that special. I'm not even that strong. My friends are the ones who give me my strength. Without them I'm nothing."

"Isn't that true of everyone?" Ozpin mused. "What is a man in isolation?"

"There's nothing I care about more than my friends." Yu said. "That includes the friends I've made in this world. That's why I'm here. If there's anything I can do to help my friends, I'm going to do it."

"Would you sacrifice your life?" Ozpin asked.

"Without hesitation." Yu answered.

"No wonder you're their leader." Ozpin said. "From one leader to another, it's been an honor to meet you." Ozpin stood up and shook Yu's hand. Yu felt a new power fill him and saw Ozpin's eyes briefly dilate. "Talk to Glynda before you go to get a scroll." Ozpin said as if nothing had happened.

"From one leader to another, I won't rest until I find the truth about what's going on here." Yu said. "Thank you for your help." Yu turned and walked out.

* * *

After a few minutes, Glynda entered the room. "You awakened their auras?" She asked with concern. "We don't even know if we can trust them."

"If you can't trust them, trust me." Ozpin said. "They may be the only ones who can save this world. They didn't say it, but I got the distinct feeling that they believe the things going on here are very serious. It may just be that the fate of the entire world is at stake. If that's the case, they'll need every advantage we can offer."

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Like a dream come true_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack)

"Are you guys alright?" Ruby asked the group as they exited the Tower. "I heard you were arrested."

"Ozpin just wanted to see us." Yu said. "He knows something bad is going on here, but he doesn't experience it. He wants us to help him."

"Yeah, we're students now." Yosuke said. "We even got scrolls like you guys." He pulled his scroll from his pocket and showed Ruby.

"Let me see that." Ruby said. She took Yosuke's scroll and tapped at it. "That can't be right. Yu, can I see yours?" Yu nodded and handed his over. Ruby tapped at it too. "No way." She said with a look of shock on her face. "You have auras now!" Most of the group looked at her with confusion.

"I thought so." Naoto said. "I felt something strange when Ozpin shook my hand. It was like a surge of power. I suspect he activated our auras when shaking our hands."

"Aigis and Labrys too." Ruby said while examining their scrolls.

"Ozpin said we should talk to you about having weapons made." Yu said. "He said you'd know someone."

Ruby thought for a moment. "I know exactly who to call!" She exclaimed. "I'll set everything up and we'll work on it tomorrow since we don't have any classes."


	8. Nora!

Chapter 8

*Recommended Music – _The Voice Someone Calls-In the Labyrinth-_ (Persona Q Soundtrack)*

"We tracked down Nora." Yang told Ruby as she exited the Velvet Room. "After we located Nora, Helia went back to the dorm to keep an eye on Jaune. We'll just have to do this without her. My power should compensate a bit. Anything new on your end?"

"Well, the three of us can now use the Persona Surt." Ruby replied. "Where's Nora?"

"She's in the cafeteria." Rise replied. "She wasn't that hard to find. In fact, it would have been hard not to locate her. It's like she's screaming, but not in pain. It's almost like a laugh."

"That sounds a lot like Nora." Weiss said. "She's not exactly quiet. It makes me wonder what lunacy we're in for."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Blake said. "Let's go get her."

"We'll head back to the Tower." Yosuke said.

"I thought the path ahead was blocked." Ruby said.

"I scanned it, and the blockage seems to be gone." Rise explained. "Maybe the next bit opens up when you save someone."

"That is likely." Aigis confirmed. "The tower like this that I experienced, Tartarus, was segmented. The next segment was opened when a specific powerful shadow was defeated. The similarities between the two concern me greatly."

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Boop_ (RWBY v2 Soundtrack)*

"She did say she was queen of the castle." Ruby said. Team RWBY, along with the two mechanical maidens, stood in Nora's shadow world. They were in the courtyard of an impressive looking castle.

"I guess we should go inside." Blake suggested.

"You know, this is a lot more normal than I was expecting." Weiss observed as they headed for the entrance. "Of all the crazy people we know, I'd say she's the craziest, not to mention the most violent." They reached the open front door and walked in, finding themselves in an elegantly decorated hallway. "Shadow worlds are usually more twisted and disturbing. I wouldn't call this place normal, but it's not what I would expect at all."

"It's like a fairy tale." Ruby said. She seemed excited.

"We're only getting started." Yang warned. "Things could turn pretty quickly."

"Maybe the world inside Nora's head is all sunshine and rainbows, even when she's out slaughtering Grimm." Blake suggested. "It would explain her personality."

"There is something deeply disturbing about such a dangerous place being so seemingly pleasant." Aigis said. "I can sense shadows ahead. Perhaps the appearance of this place is meant to cause us to lower our guard."

They continued on, reaching the end of the hallway. A set of impressively ornamented doors opened into a large ballroom lined with suits of armor. At the far end stood Nora, dressed as a queen. "Who dares trespass in my realm?" Queen Nora boomed.

"Nora, this place is dangerous, we need to leave now." Ruby said.

"Something's off." Yang said.

"Bow before Queen Nora!" Queen Nora shouted authoritatively.

"Maybe we should play along." Ruby suggested. "Maybe this place has gone to her head." Ruby started to bow but saw something moving quickly at the edge of her vision. She stood back up just in time to avoid being decapitated by one of the suits of armor as it slammed its axe down where her neck would have been.

"Kill the intruders!" Queen Nora ordered as a dozen suits of armor closed around the group. She stormed out of the room, laughing maniacally as she left.

"That can't be her." Ruby said. "It has to be a shadow."

"I am not sure." Aigis said. "My sensors were not able to confirm her as a shadow."

"I couldn't tell either." Yang added.

"But she would never hurt us." Ruby protested. "We're her friends."

"She's a violent lunatic." Weiss said. "Would you really be shocked if she was pushed over the edge by this situation? She's separated from her team and stuck in a fairy tale castle filled with monsters. Even a normal person could go mad." Ruby frowned with the realization that Weiss could be right. Nora was their friend, but she was also unpredictable. If anyone would lose it and attack them, it would probably be her. Add to that the fact that Ren was not there to keep her in check, and who knows what she would be capable of without his stabilizing influence.

"We've got more pressing matters to deal with." Blake said. The suits of armor surrounded the group, axes at the ready. "We can figure out what's going on later. I take it these are definitely shadows?"

"No doubt." Yang confirmed. "They're pretty powerful too."

*Recommended Music: _Light the Fire Up In the Night "Dark Hour"_ (Persona Q Soundtrack)*

Blake rushed between two of the shadow, shooting them as she moved into position. They simultaneously swung their axes at her as she back-flipped out of the way, leaving a decoy in her place to take the hits. The shadows slammed their axes into each other, momentarily stunning them both. Blake slashed away at one but Gambol Shroud had little effect. The second shadow lifted its axe to attack her, but Blake dove through the first shadow's legs, turned and gave it a shove. It stumbled into the path of the other's axe which cleaved its head in half. The shadow dissolved and disappeared, leaving eleven.

Labrys charged at a shadow, swinging her axe at its midsection. The shadow blocked with its own axe and shockingly was strong enough to hold its ground against Labrys' mighty attack. It pushed her back and lunged. This time it was Labrys' turn to block, and she deflected the shadow's axe away before kicking it in the chest. The shadow stumbled back giving Labrys enough space to swing her axe around, hitting it with an upward strike. The shadow sailed into the air, arms flailing. Labrys followed, leaping all the way to the ceiling. She pushed off and slammed her shoulder into the shadow, sending it speeding toward the floor. The shadow smashed into the ground flat on its back, giving Labrys to opportunity to finish it off with a rocket-boosted slam from her axe. The shadow dissolved and disappeared, leaving ten.

Weiss used her glyphs to lay down a streak of ice behind one of the shadows. She ran at it, boosted by her glyphs, and jumped, dropkicking the shadow in the chest. The shadow slid backwards onto the ice and continued on uncontrollably until it slammed into a wall. Weiss charged in to follow up the attack, but the shadow recovered and countered with a mighty swing of its axe. She dodged it acrobatically and stabbed at the shadow with Myrtenaster. Her blade glanced off the shadow's armor harmlessly. The shadow swung its axe back around, but Weiss was too close to be hit by the blade. Instead, the shaft of the axe slammed into her stomach and swung her around into the wall. Weiss was in a bad spot, but the shadow had made a mistake. Its axe was embedded in the wall, and the shadow struggled to free it. Weiss squirmed free and dove away from the shadow. She summoned her Persona Ananke and used it to encase the shadow in ice. She backed up and, boosted by her glyphs, raced at the shadow, spinning at the last moment and slamming Myrtenaster into the frozen enemy. The shadow shattered into innumerable pieces before dissolving and disappearing, leaving nine remaining.

Three shadows focused on Yang as she aggressively approached. She ran at one but broke off her charge at the last moment, dodging a swing from its axe before launching into an attack on the shadow next to it. She delivered an Ember Celica-enhanced punch to the shadow's face before sliding around behind it. With all three shadows lined up, she reared back and delivered a powerful punch to the back of the dazed shadow's head. Its head flew off as its body crashed into the other two, knocking them to the ground. The decapitated shadow dissolved and disappeared as the other two struggled back to their feet. Yang arrived before they could recover and delivered a flurry of punches, rapidly alternating between the pair and keeping both off balance. With the shadows wobbling she grabbed both by their heads and slammed them together, crushing the metal flat between her gauntlets. The shadows dissolved and disappeared, leaving six.

Aigis fired bursts at a pair of shadows, but her bullets did little more than dent them. They both rushed at her. She sidestepped the first, tripping it as it passed. The second swung its axe but she blocked it with her heavily armored wrist. She grabbed the shadow by the arm and effortlessly flipped it over onto its downed comrade. Aigis unloaded her guns into the shadows as the scrambled to recover, but even at point-blank range they had no appreciable effect. She summoned the Persona Isis and coated the ground beneath the shadows with ice. They clumsily struggled and fell in their attempts to stand. Aigis switched to her Persona Pallas Athena. It swept in with tremendous speed and speared both shadows, carrying them along until it ran into a wall. Both shadows dissolved and disappeared, leaving four.

Blake tumbled across the floor. The other shadow she had been fighting had managed to get a solid hit in on her and now she was in bad shape. The shadow approached to finish the job but was distracted by a sudden blur of rose petals. It followed as the blur zipped around the three other remaining shadows and soon all were transfixed. Ruby skidded to a stop with Crescent Rose at the ready, blasting away with a series of sniper shots. Though the shots unbalanced the shadows, they did no damage. Ruby summoned the Persona Norn and used a series of concentrated wind blasts to push the shadows into a tight group. She switched her Persona to Izanagi and unleashed a massive bolt of lightning onto the metallic shadows. They writhed as electricity coursed through them, smoke pouring out of every gap in their armor. Suddenly they exploded, shrapnel flying in all directions before they dissolved and disappeared.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Blake said. She was the worst off among them, but only a bit bruised. "I wish you would have just hit them with electricity right at the start." She said to Ruby.

"Sorry, I didn't want to risk hitting Aigis or Labrys until the shadows were clear of them." Ruby explained. "I thought it would work because they appeared to be made of metal."

"Let's get going." Weiss said annoyed. "Who knows what else that maniac has in store for us? How does JNPR put up with her?"

"Weiss, we don't even know of that was really her." Yang said. "It could have been her shadow."

"The fact that you had to qualify that with 'could' says it all." Weiss countered.

"Why don't you like Nora?" Labrys asked.

"I've already said it, she's crazy." Weiss replied. "She's violent and hyperactive, and she'll probably get us all killed."

"Are you sure it doesn't have more to do with her hitting you in the face with that pie?" Blake questioned. Weiss just gave her an angry look.

"I think it would be wise to give her the benefit of the doubt." Aigis advised. "Shadows are devious, and it may be that they want us to turn on Nora. Until we know more, we should assume that that was her shadow and that Nora is just as much a helpless victim as Jaune was."

* * *

"We've got a strong shadow on the next floor." Rise warned. The Investigation Team had been fighting hordes of relatively weak shadows as they climbed the tower. Exploring was easier than expected though. Instead of having to make their way back to where they had left off, passing though the portal left them on the highest floor they had previously reached. They had been exploring for some time, but this was the first strong shadow they had encountered.

"Is it…for one of us?" Chie asked uneasily.

"I don't think so." Rise replied. "It feels like a normal shadow, just stronger."

"It doesn't smell abnormal either." Teddie added.

"What would you know about normal?" Yosuke countered.

"If there's one thing I know it's shadows!" Teddie shouted indignantly. "And my nose is never wrong!"

"Except when it's not working." Yosuke observed. Teddie growled angrily.

"Okay guys, cut it out." Yu said. "We've got work to do."

"Sorry." Yosuke apologized.

"Sorry Sensei." Teddie added.

"Let's get going." Yu said. They ascended the stairs and found themselves in an open area. It contrasted starkly with the normally labyrinthine nature of the Tower. In the middle was a single large shadow in the form of a battle tank.

*Recommended Music: _Time to Make History_ (Persona 4 Golden Sountrack)

"Any ideas on what it's weak to Rise?" Kanji asked. Before Rise could reply, the shadow pointed its cannon at the group and fired.

Yu doubled over in pain as his Persona Izanagi took the hit for them. "It hits hard." Yu confirmed. The group summoned their Personas and took up positions around the shadow. At least it would not be able to attack them all simultaneously.

"I doesn't seem weak to anything and it's resistant to everything." Rise reported. "Light and darkness are a waste too." She pulled out her scroll and with a few taps brought it to the _Team Status_ screen. "Senpai that hit significantly weakened your aura. It looks like you share it with your Persona."

"That's good to know." Yu grunted as Izanagi dodged another blast from the shadow's cannon. It sailed harmlessly past them and into the wall beyond. Chie's Persona flew toward the shadow and slashed at it with its blade. The shadow was spun slightly by the force, but it simply brought its cannon around and blasted the Persona at point-blank range. Chie's Persona tumbled backward as Chie dropped to a knee in pain. She withdrew her Persona and retreated as another hit would likely knock her out of the fight entirely.

Kanji's Persona charged its sword with electricity and slammed it down on the top of the shadow's turret. As electricity surged through it, the shadow's moving parts shook and the whole thing shuddered. Soon though, it recovered and swung its turret around. Kanji's Persona caught the barrel, but the shadow turned its body to face it and drove the Persona into a wall. A follow-up blast from its now unobstructed cannon caused Kanji's Persona to fade and disappear as Kanji fell unconscious.

"Yosuke, back me up!" Yukiko called. Her Persona unleashed a wave of fire at the shadow. Yosuke's Persona slid in behind Yukiko's and fanned the flames with a blast of wind. A firestorm engulfed the shadow, but it powered out of the wall of flame and fired accurate shots at both Personas in rapid succession.

Naoto's Persona zipped around the shadow, keeping it distracted. Her Persona was far too fast for the shadow to get a lock. Finally, it gave up and simply drove at Naoto, aiming to crush her under its tracks. Izanagi swept in and pushed Naoto out of the way just before being crushed itself. Yu cried in pain and fell unconscious. The shadow took aim at the prone Yu but just as it fired, Yosuke's Persona slammed into it, causing its shot to fly wide of the mark. The shadow turned and blasted Yosuke's Persona. He wisely withdrew, unable to take another hit.

"You've got to stop it from shooting!" Rise shouted. "You're making progress, you just need more time."

"I'm on it!" Teddie announced excitedly. Teddie's absurd looking Persona swooped in. Somehow the bulbous thing dodged several shots as it closed in. Teddie's Persona launched a ball of ice at the shadow. It hit its mark, crashing into the open end of the cannon's barrel and freezing it shut. The shadow foolishly fired anyway. The end of the barrel exploded with the explosion rolling back into the turret and blasting it off the body of the shadow. Without an offensive weapon but far from giving up, the shadow raced around, blindly attempting to run over its assailants. Teddie's and Chie's Personas lined up on either side of the rampaging shadow and froze its tracks in place. The shadow struggled, grinding against the ice, but was unable to get free. Naoto's Persona flew in through the opening left by the missing turret and began slashing away at the shadow's insides. Finally, the shadow dissolved and disappeared.

It had been an exhausting fight, but the Investigation Team had been through worse. In moments, everyone was healed and back in fighting shape. They were ready to continue exploring the Tower. "Can you sense anything up ahead?" Naoto asked of Rise.

"There are plenty of normal shadows on the next few floors." Rise replied. "Beyond that, it's hard to tell, but I think there's another strong shadow a little further up. We're a little far, and I can't say for sure, but I think there might be something different about that one."

"If it's another shadow tailor made for me, I'm going to be a little annoyed." Yosuke sighed.

* * *

Team RWBY and their robotic companions passed through more elegantly decorated halls of Nora's shadow world until they reached a huge throne room. One wall was lined with intricate tapestries depicting Nora annihilating various forms of Grimm, always with a smile on her face. The other featured huge windows decorated with flowing pink curtains. At the far end was a gilded throne on a slightly raised platform, a pink carpet leading to it from the entrance. The room appeared empty.

"Nora's close." Yang reported. "I can feel her here."

"Are we talking about the real Nora, or crazy shadow Nora?" Ruby asked.

"Assuming they're not one in the same." Weiss added.

"It's really hard to tell." Yang admitted. "My powers of detection aren't as strong as Rise's or Helia's. I just know someone's here, and I have to assume that someone is Nora."

"The room's pretty open; there aren't too many places to hide." Blake observed. Before they could begin their search, a mass of shadows oozed up through the floor and formed into one massive beast.

*Recommended Music: _ One of These Days_ (_Meddle_, Pink Floyd)*

"That looks disturbingly like a sloth." Yang said. "An evil sloth to be sure, but a sloth nonetheless."

"Nora does love sloths." Ruby said, readying her weapon. The shadow towered over them, its eyes glowing red and blood dripping from its claws. "At least sloths are slow." As if responding to Ruby's challenge, the sloth charged at the group with incredible speed. Most of them managed to get out of the way, but Yang was not fast enough. With a swing of its arm, the shadow sent Yang sailing through the air and through one of the huge windows that lined one side of the room. Ruby and Blake rushed to the window to see if Yang was alright. Outside the windows was a courtyard lined with tall hedges. Yang stood and picked some glass out of her arm. With the aid of her aura, the shallow wound soon closed.

"I'm alright." Yang said, brushing off her clothes as she walked back toward the window.

"Behind you!" Blake warned. Yang spun around just in time see the approaching Beowolf-like shadow and knock it back with a solid punch to the face. Inside the throne room, Weiss, Aigis and Labrys battled the sloth shadow, mostly just trying to stay out of its way while delivering what shots they could when the opportunity presented itself. "There're more of them!" Blake shouted, leaping through the window to join Yang. Ruby soon followed and the three faced off against a half dozen shadows outside.

Weiss used her glyphs to lay down a sheet of ice in front of the charging sloth shadow. It slipped on the ice, lost its balance, and slid full-speed into a wall. Before it could recover, Labrys charged it, swinging her axe with everything she had. The axe sunk deep into the shadow's side but became stuck. The shadow simply stood and with an angry growl brushed Labrys off, leaving the axe in place. Aigis fired a series of shots at the shadow in hopes of distracting it, but it just ignored her and continued to attack the weaponless Labrys. She was quick, but the shadow was too. It managed to snatch her up in one of its claws. Labrys groaned as the shadow attempted to crush the metallic maiden. She saw her opportunity and shot her hand out on its chain. Her aim was true and her hand grabbed her axe. She reeled it in and in a fluid motion slashed at the shadow's wrist. It roared in pain and lost its grip. Labrys dropped to the ground and sped away from the hotly pursuing shadow.

Yang, Ruby and Blake faced down the Beowolf shadows surrounding them. They charged in unison, a mistake, as the three leapt out of the way, leaving the shadows to slam into each other. Ruby grabbed one end of Gambol Shroud, extended on its ribbon, and ran around the cluster of shadows. Blake raced around in the other direction, encircling the shadows and binding them together. With the shadows packed tightly together and unable to defend themselves, Yang charged in and unleashed a flurry of punches on the hapless enemies. Ruby returned the other half of Gambol Shroud to Blake and joined the assault, slicing away at the shadows with her scythe. Soon, all the shadows were torn to pieces which dissolved and disappeared.

The shadow chased after Labrys as she desperately sprinted away. A wall of ice suddenly appeared in front of the shadow, courtesy of Weiss' glyphs and Persona, and Aigis' Persona Isis. The shadow crashed into the icy barrier and stumbled backward. The timing was perfect as Ruby, Blake and Yang arrived just in time to join a full assault on the shadow. The shadow writhed as it was assailed by gunfire from Aigis, Yang and Ruby while simultaneously being slashed at by Labrys, Blake and Weiss. The shadow thrashed in a fruitless attempt to stop its tormentors. Finally, it collapsed to the ground where it lay motionless, various parts of it bubbling away and disappearing.

"Are you okay Labrys?" Weiss asked. There were some small cracks on Labrys' armor.

"Nothin' a little healin' can't fix." Labrys replied. Ruby summoned Norn to take care of that.

"I think I'm going to be picking glass out of my hair for a while." Yang laughed.

Without warning, the mangled shadow reared up, lifting its claw high above the unaware group. "Look out!" Blake shouted as she saw the attack coming out of the corner of her eye. A manic cackle pierced the air as Nora came flying in, Magnhild held high above her head as she sailed through the air. With pinpoint accuracy, she slammed the massive hammer down on the shadow's head and with the pull of her trigger added additional explosive force to the attack. The shadow's head exploded as the rest of it fell limply to the floor where it dissolved and disappeared.

Nora stood, proudly admiring her handiwork. "I love this place." She said excitedly. "There are so many enemies to smash." The group could not help but notice that she was dressed normally, not like the queen that had attacked them.

"Oh Nora, thank goodness it's the real you." Ruby said.

"Who else would it be?" Nora asked.

"Never mind that." Yang said. "Where were you while we were fighting?"

"I was taking a nap." Nora said matter-of-factly. "I just wrapped myself up in one of those curtains and it was super-comfy." She yawned loudly. "I think Ren was right, it is too late to be out."

"You were taking a nap?" Weiss was shocked. "This place is dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Nora disagreed. "What's dangerous about it?"

"The shadows, I mean, monsters." Blake said. "You know, like the one you just smashed."

"Oh yeah, I fought a bunch of them." Nora said proudly. "They weren't any trouble and after a while, they all started to run away whenever they saw me." The others were absolutely flabbergasted. "It's been fun, but I guess we should go. I tried looking for Ren but I couldn't find him anywhere. We should try somewhere else."

"Worried about Ren are we?" Queen Nora said. She stood in the doorway, blocking their exit. "That's a surprise."

* * *

"The shadow's definitely on the next floor." Rise reported. "It feels familiar again, but I can't place this one."

"It smells familiar to me too." Teddie added. "It's like a mix of coffee and burning."

"What does that even mean?" Yosuke asked incredulously. "Forget it. This is just something we're going to have to deal with."

"Let's do it." Chie said with determination.

The Investigation Team ascended the stairs, arriving in another poorly lit area. They advanced cautiously, trying not to walk into the objects that cluttered the space. A small light broke through the darkness. A cigarette dimly lit a grizzled face. Then the lights came on, revealing a vague approximation of the Inaba police station. Leaning against a desk was Dojima, smoking as usual. "That's the shadow alright." Rise confirmed.

"I guess this one is mine." Yu sighed.

"Guess again." Dojima said. He took a long drag of his cigarette before crushing it into an ashtray. "No, this one is for the aspiring detective."

"Me?" Naoto was confused. "That doesn't make sense."

"You're right, it doesn't." Dojima said. "Probably because it's not yours either." He paused for a moment. "No guesses? I knew you were a bit slow on the uptake, but come on Chie."

"But why you?" Chie asked. "What problem do I have with you? Where's the emotional trauma?"

"You dream of being a cop." Dojima ignored her questions. "You want to be a detective like me. Let's talk about that for a bit, shall we?"

"So what, I want to be a police officer." Chie said. "What's wrong with that?"

"What's your motivation?" Dojima inquired.

"I want to protect people." Chie replied. "The town, the people I care about, I want to protect them."

"Is that the only reason?" Dojima pressed. Chie nodded. "Are you sure?" She did not respond. "Come on now, we all know you crave power. You've had this conversation with a shadow before. You want control. Being a cop can give you that kind of power. You can rationalize it all you want, but you really haven't changed that much. You're still the same jealous, controlling bitch you always were."

"That's not true!" Chie shouted. "I really just want to help!"

"If you keep saying that you might even convince yourself." Dojima taunted. "That's not the real problem though. It really doesn't matter why you want to be a detective, just so long as you get the job done. Unfortunately, that's going to be an issue for you."

"What are you talking about?" Chie asked angrily.

"To put it plainly, you're too dumb." Dojima said. "Not every problem can be solved by kicking it. At some point, you're going to have to use your brain. In your case, that brain isn't very powerful is it?"

"I've been studying really hard." Chie protested. "If I work at it, I'll get it eventually."

"Will you though?" Dojima asked. "For all the effort your grades are still terrible. You go over the material again and again but it never gets any clearer. You've tried studying the things you'd need to know to be a cop, but you can't figure that out either. To be even vaguely useful to the force, you have to have some basic level of intelligence. Adachi was a lazy, sociopathic asshole but at least he was clever. You couldn't even be as good a detective as that jackass."

"I'm much better than Adachi!" Chie yelled. "I'd be a much better police officer than that bastard."

"You sound so sure of yourself." Dojima said, feigning respect. "I'll do you a favor then. Why not fight Adachi and prove your superiority? I'm sure you wouldn't want to fight me anyway. Like you said, there's no emotional trauma there. Just give me a moment." With that, Dojima melted into a black mass before reforming and taking the appearance of Adachi.

"There, is that better?" Adachi asked. "Oh, and I wouldn't want to leave your little friends out of the fun, so I brought a little something for them too." Four gigantic figures appeared behind Adachi. Dressed in frayed black overcoats, hoods over their heads, chains around their torsos, giant revolvers in each hand, they were Reapers. "I wonder if you can defeat me before they kill your friends."

"I won't let them, or me, down!" Chie shouted. "Haraedo-no-Okami!" She summoned her Persona.

"This is going to be easy." Adachi sneered. "Magatsu-Izanagi!"

* * *

"So, how is our favorite violent lunatic doing?" Queen Nora sneered. "Nora, have you killed anything cool lately?"

"Violent lunatic?" Nora did not know what to make of that comment.

"You are aware that everyone thinks you're insane, right?" Queen Nora inquired. "They're terrified of you."

"Why would people be afraid of me?" Nora asked.

"Really?" Queen Nora said. "You really don't know? You're hyperactive, unpredictable, and enjoy crushing things with your hammer. I'd say that would make any normal person nervous."

"You guys don't feel that way." Nora said to the others. "Right?" She got no response.

"You should have heard Weiss earlier." Queen Nora pressed. "She thought you were behind all this. She thought you were the one trying to kill them. She just figured you'd gone over the edge and turned on everyone. Go ahead Weiss, deny it." Weiss looked down in shame. "The others weren't exactly rushing to your defense either."

"Do you really think I'd hurt you?" Nora asked. The smile that perpetually graced her face was gone. "Are you really afraid of me?" She got no response. "At least Ren would never turn against me."

"Oh really?" Queen Nora laughed. "Do you have any idea how annoying you are for him? He has to put up with you constantly bothering him, and then he has to try to fix things when you screw them up. You're a burden. It takes all his effort just to make sure you don't get yourself or any of your friends killed. He must hate you."

"That's impossible." Nora protested. "We've been friends for so long."

"Well, you have been from your point of view at least." Queen Nora countered. "Are you sure he feels the same way? Maybe he just can't get rid of you. You won't leave him alone. You know he's far too polite to say anything that would hurt you."

"B-but…" Nora stammered.

"But nothing." Queen Nora cut her off. "You must know the truth deep down. After all, you're afraid to tell him how you really feel. The only reasonable explanation is because you know he doesn't feel the same way."

"He doesn't…he wouldn't…no…" Nora couldn't respond. She dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Where is Ren now, when you need him most?" Queen Nora continued her onslaught. "As soon as the opportunity presented itself, he abandoned you."

"He couldn't have." Nora curled up in the fetal position, sobbing. "No no no no no..."

"Well, the time has come for me to put you out of your misery." Queen Nora concluded. "Don't worry; you won't be bothering anyone anymore." Queen Nora grew into a giant and twisted version of herself. The shadows face was hidden by a mask that gave it a permanent manic grin. Wielding a bloody scepter that was at least thirty feet long, she would be a dangerous opponent. She lifted her weapon above her head. "Now die!"

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Like a Dragon_ (Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

Chie faced down Shadow Adachi as the Reapers approached the rest of the Investigation Team. "I can take one alone." Yu assured the others.

"Me too." Kanji said, cracking his knuckles.

"Teddie and I will take one." Yosuke said. Teddie growled in agreement. They all summoned their Personas and set about attacking the hulking shadows.

Haraedo-no-Okami and Magatsu-Izanagi charged at each other, their blades meeting with a thunderous clash. Chie's Persona unleashed a flurry of slashes with its double-bladed sword while Shadow Adachi's blocked every strike with its own blade. Haraedo-no-Okami backed off and swept back in with a mighty swing of its blade. Magatsu-Izanagi dodged the strike almost casually, before cracking its opponent on the back of the head with the hilt of its blade. "You're going to have to do better than that." Shadow Adachi taunted. Chie's Persona took another powerful swipe at the shadow's Persona but it was dodged again. Shadow Adachi's Persona grabbed Haraedo-no-Okami and threw it to the ground with tremendous force. Chie groaned in pain as her Persona slammed into the floor. "Good, let your rage consume you." Shadow Adachi sneered.

Yu used Izanagi to hit the Reaper with a bolt of lightning, but to no avail. He rapidly switched through Personas, hitting the shadow with every type of attack in his repertoire. Nothing seemed to phase it. The Reaper took aim directly at Yu with its gigantic revolver and fired. At the last moment, Izanagi swept in to take the blow for him, and both were knocked to the ground in pain.

Things were little better for Kanji. His Persona took a mighty swing of its sword at the Reaper, striking it squarely in the forehead. The Reaper did not even flinch before pushing the attacking Persona back by pistol-whipping it. It took aim directly at Kanji, but his Persona shoulder-blocked the Reaper, knocking it off target enough that its shot went wide of the mark. The shadow simply turned and blasted Kanji's Persona point-blank. Kanji fell to his knees, just barely hanging on.

Teddie and Yosuke used their Personas to keep the Reaper off balance. Yosuke's zipped around as Teddie's floated lazily, though both were equally adept at dodging the Reaper's attacks. They charged the shadow from opposite directions, but it was the Reaper's turn to dodge the assault. It moved out of the way at the last moment, leaving Teddie's Persona to slam into Yosuke's much more fragile Persona. Yosuke doubled over in pain as his Persona struggled to recover. Teddie's persona turned around just in time to take a direct hit from the Reaper, knocking him out of the fight.

Yukiko and Naoto both had the advantage of speed and attack power. Their Personas could move much more quickly than the Reaper, and they could hit incredibly hard. Still, the Reaper seemed unperturbed by their attacks. It simply took aim at Yukiko, forcing her Persona to defend her. The shot easily took her out of the fight. Naoto was next. "Shield of Justice!" She cried as the Reaper fired. The shot harmlessly struck the invisible barrier her Persona had produced. The Reapers seemed immune to normal attacks, so desperate measures were called for. "Try to group them together!" Naoto called to the others. Yosuke and Yu used wind to push the Reapers closer together while Kanji's Persona physically shoved it. "Megidolaon!" Naoto shouted once they were all together. A blinding light appeared above them before descending and producing a massive explosion. Naoto dropped to her knees in exhaustion.

When the light faded and the dust settled, all four Reapers were still there, apparently unhurt. "I forgot to mention, they're invincible." Shadow Adachi laughed. "You'd better beat me quickly or your friends are doomed." He taunted Chie.

All-out Persona attacks were just not working. Magatsu-Izanagi was just too quick. Then Chie had an idea. She charged at Shadow Adachi, still focused on the standoff between their Personas, and kicked him in the face as hard as she could. Shadow Adachi tumbled to the ground. "What the hell?" He grumbled. Even Chie was amazed at the power of the kick. Maybe her newly awakened Aura had something to do with it. Whatever the reason, this was the opening she needed. Magatsu-Izanagi had mimicked the reaction of its wielder, slamming into the ground hard on its back. Haraedo-no-Okami rushed in, and before the shadow's Persona could recover, plunged its sword into Magatsu-Izanagi's chest. The Persona faded to static and Shadow Adachi writhed in pain. The Reapers too fell to the ground before disappearing.

Chie confidently approached the downed Shadow Adachi. "I may not be the smartest person ever, but I'm not an idiot." Chie said. "I may have a long way to go, but one day I'll be a great detective! As long as I work hard and believe in myself, I can't fail. I certainly won't end up like you."

"You think you're so smart." Shadow Adachi smirked. He quickly reached for his revolver and aimed it at Chie. Before he had a chance to fire, Chie stomped on his wrist and the gun skittered across the floor.

"I told you I'm not an idiot." Chie reiterated. "Not only am I going to be a police officer, but I'm doing it for the right reasons. You'll see."

"Oh just finish this already." Shadow Adachi said. Chie obliged. Her Persona flew in and sliced the shadow in half. It dissolved and disappeared. "Are you guys alright?" She asked, turning back to her friends.

"We'll be fine." Yu said. None of them looked to be in particularly good shape with the exception of Rise who had not been in the fight. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay." Chie said. "The things it said really pissed me off, but I know that I can do anything I put my mind to. And when it comes to my motivation, I know I'm not just doing it for me."

"That's good, I'm proud of you." Yu said with a smile.

"Stop, you sound like my parents." Chie laughed awkwardly.

"Well, the path is blocked again." Rise reported. "I guess we should head back and see how the others are doing."


	9. Armed and Dangerous

***Back to normal length chapters for next week. If you like what you're reading here, please leave a comment. It's good to know someone's actually enjoying this stuff.***

Chapter 9

*Recommended Music: _I'll Face Myself-Battle- _(Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

Queen Nora brought her massive blood-stained scepter down at Nora with tremendous force. With a thunderous clash the attack was blocked by Labrys. Axe met scepter and Labrys used all her might to hold the shadow at bay while the others got the still sobbing Nora to relative safety. With Nora clear of the attack, Labrys released her hold on the shadow's weapon and it crashed to the ground beside her. Labrys dodged acrobatically as Queen Nora sung her weapon around trying to crush the pesky automaton.

"Weiss, I think you owe her an apology." Blake said sternly, the two of them standing over the inconsolable Nora. Blake said no more before charging into battle behind Yang who was already in a full sprint. Yang leapt at the shadow and met it with a series of body shots, blasting away with Ember Celica as she barraged Queen Nora with punches. Blake arrived soon after, slashing away at the colossal shadow's legs. Queen Nora was finally able to get a hit in on Yang, smacking her to the ground beside Blake. Then, with a single kick it sent both flying across the room. The shadow seemed somewhat injured by the assault but immediately pressed its own attack.

Ruby hit the shadow with a gust of wind from her Persona Summer Rose, pushing it off balance and giving Blake and Yang a chance to regroup. Aside from delaying the shadow, the attack had no effect. Aigis rushed around Queen Nora, firing her guns from close range while keeping in constant motion to avoid the monster's repeated counter attacks. Queen Nora slammed her scepter down, barely missing Aigis. Acting quickly, Aigis summoned Isis and encased the shadow's scepter in ice, hoping to trap it in place. A series of ice blasts directly at the shadow failed to hurt it, and soon it ripped its weapon free of the frozen snare. A fireball from Yang's Persona and a bolt of lightning from Ruby, now wielding Izanagi, failed to produce any results against the massive shadow.

"Nora, I'm sorry I didn't trust you." Weiss apologized. Nora had calmed down a bit but was still crying. "I don't know why I felt hostility towards you. Maybe I'm just jealous of how happy and excited you always are. Plus you're so outgoing and popular, and even if people are sometimes a bit scared of you they know you're fun to be around."

"Apology accepted." Nora said through her tears. "But it doesn't matter."

"It looks like only physical attacks are doing anything." Blake observed. Ruby flew at the shadow, swinging Crescent Rose in front of her, but it avoided the attack and swatted Ruby away with its scepter, smashing her into the nearby wall. Ruby was a bit wobbly but recovered and retreated, firing on the shadow from a safer distance. Blake and Aigis too kept their distance as they unloaded their weapons into Queen Nora. It was working, if only slowly. Yang and Labrys did not have the long range option and engaged the shadow in close quarters. Yang pounded away with her fists while Labrys took swing after rocked-boosted swing at the shadow with her axe. They stayed close enough the Queen Nora could not effectively use its giant scepter against them.

"Enough!" The wounded shadow shouted. It swung its scepter at the windowed wall, smashing a massive breach in it. Beowolf shadows poured in from outside to assist the embattled Queen Nora.

"We'll keep attacking the queen, you guys take care of the others." Yang ordered as she and Labrys continued to battle the giant shadow.

Ruby and Blake hacked away at the Beowolves while Aigis fired a steady stream of bullets at the mass of shadows. They were not strong individually, but their numbers seemed endless. Ruby scythed through a line of five shadows, only to find herself immediately surrounded by more of them. Blake cut her way into the group and the two fought their way back out, but it was not a sustainable situation. Even with covering fire from Aigis, there were simply too many for Ruby and Blake.

Yang punched the shadow repeatedly in the face with an added boost from Ember Celica. Queen Nora roared in anger before delivering a punch of her own, sending Yang tumbling to the ground. Before she could recover, the shadow slammed its scepter down on her. Yang lay unconscious as the shadow readied to finish her off, only to be interrupted by Labrys who hacked away at the shadow's scepter arm. Queen Nora angrily elbowed the mechanical maiden and she tumbled back. Now at ideal scepter range, Labrys struggled to dodge the shadow's repeated attacks.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Weiss asked. She crouched next to Nora and put an arm around her.

"I don't care what anyone thinks about me." Nora cried. "But if Ren's abandoned me I've got nothing. I can't go on without him."

"He didn't abandon you." Weiss assured her. "He's been kidnapped. We're trying to save him, but we found you first. We can help him too, but we have to defeat you shadow first."

"Really?" Nora asked, no longer crying.

"It's true." Weiss replied. "We've got to save Pyrrha and Ren. I'm sure Ren will be thrilled to see you."

"Then we'd better hurry." Nora said, rising to her feet. She wiped away the lingering tears before taking hold of Magnhild. She charged forward, swinging her hammer wildly, sending broken Beowolves flying in all directions as she cut a swathe through the mass of shadows. They immediately backed off, seeing the power and fury of her attack. "Now to deal with you! Me? Me-you!" She shouted. Queen Nora turned away from Labrys and menacingly approached Nora. Nora converted Magnhild to its grenade-launching configuration and fired a series of shots at the shadow. The shadow recoiled under the barrage of explosives, stumbling backwards. Nora charged, leaping into the air with some extra propulsion from Magnhild. At the top of her arc, she fired it again, sending her spinning at the shadow. Her hammer connected, smashing Queen Nora directly in the forehead, bringing the massive shadow down.

Queen Nora reverted to her more human form and backed away from the carefully approaching group. "Please, there's no need to kill me." The shadow pleaded.

"After those horrible things you said, after you tried to kill my friends, I think I do." Nora said with a manic smile. "I'll break your legs." She walked up to the shadow and with a horizontal swing of Magnhild, swept Queen Nora's legs out from under her, mangling them in the process. Without hesitation, she swung Magnhild in a high arc and slammed it down on the shadow's chest. The shadow exploded, bits of black goo flying in all directions before dissolving and disappearing.

"Nora, we love you, but you are a little scary." Yang said.

Nora laughed happily. "I guess that makes me queen of the castle now!" She exclaimed. Seemingly exhausted, she fell to her knees. She was engulfed in a purple flame and a tarot card descended in front of her. It shattered and the image of a beautiful woman, armored for combat and carrying a war-hammer appeared above her. Aigis thought the Persona looked a bit like a mythical Viking. "Freyja." Nora said the name of her Persona before falling to the ground unconscious.

"I guess we should get her back." Blake said. "She's been through a lot."

"Can someone else carry her?" Yang requested. "I'm still a bit sore."

"I will carry her." Aigis said. She lifted Nora and carried her effortlessly in her arms. "I am capable of carrying objects weighing up to a half ton."

"Why did I have to carry Jaune then?" Yang asked.

* * *

"The next verse of the poem crap lit up so we figured you guys were done." Kanji said as they regrouped. "How was it?"

"It wasn't that bad for us." Weiss said. "For Nora I'm not so sure. How about you guys?"

"It was Chie's turn to face a personal shadow." Naoto replied. "The battle was difficult, but we prevailed."

"Yeah, it wasn't that bad." Chie said. "I feel kind of bad for Yosuke, his was a lot worse."

"Tell me about it." Yosuke sighed.

"Well, we should get back." Blake said. "Nora's in no condition to be out here."

"What do you mean?" Rise asked. "She's just sleeping."

"We thought she was unconscious." Ruby said. "She did say it was late for her. She was taking a nap in the shadow world too. I can't believe she's sleeping so soundly though."

* * *

Helia sat at the desk cleaning the gun carefully. It had not been used in years, so it needed some maintenance. Jaune sat up in bed, staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought. The click of the door unlocking drew their attention. Ruby helpfully opened the door. "We've rescued another one." She said happily.

"Pyrrha?" Jaune asked breathlessly. Aigis walked in carrying Nora. A look of disappointment briefly crossed Jaune's face but quickly faded. "Is she alright?" He asked.

"She is fine." Aigis reported. "She is merely sleeping." Aigis gently laid Nora down on her bed before covering her with a blanket.

"Looks like you've got another patient doc." Jaune said to Helia.

"Damn it Jim, I'm a Huntress not a doctor." Helia said.

"Jim?" Jaune was confused.

"Isn't that your name?" Helia asked.

"It's Jaune." He corrected her. She looked a little embarrassed by the mistake.

"Oh, a new weapon." Ruby said excitedly, looking to Helia's work. "Can I have a look?" Helia handed her the gun.

"It was Coral's." Helia explained. "His family gave it to me after the incident. It was just sitting in a box in my house until Amber brought it here today. I couldn't even bring myself to look at it for the longest time, but after everything I've been through here, I realized Coral wouldn't have wanted it that way. I'm going to use it. I think it's a fitting tribute."

"That's really great." Ruby said. "I'm glad to hear it." She handed the gun back.

"Well, it's been a long night and we all need to rest." Blake said. "We should go to sleep." The others readily agreed.

"Yeah, we've got weapons to make tomorrow!" Ruby said eagerly.

* * *

"Uncle Qrow couldn't make it." Ruby said with disappointment. They were all gathered in Beacon's workshop, ready to construct weapons for the Persona specialists. "He's busy at Signal. He did send along everything we'd need though. It takes lots of skill and practice to build your own weapon, and we don't really have time, so I guess each one of you will have to pair up with an experienced Huntress."

"I can't help but notice that there are more of us than there are of you." Yosuke said. "How is this going to work?"

"I called in two friends." Blake said.

"I'm bringing in another." Ruby said. "Add Nora and that evens things out."

"Shouldn't Nora be resting?" Yukiko asked with concern.

"You try to get her to stay in bed." Weiss said. "I'm certainly not going to stop her from doing what she wants."

Just then the door swung open and in walked two men. One had blond hair and wore an open shirt, showing off his abs. He also appeared to have a tail. "So these are the guys you've been hanging out with." He said to Blake. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Sun."

The other was taller, with light blue hair. He wore a fashionable red jacket and had goggles on the top of his head. "I'm Neptune." He said with a winning smile.

"So, we're just waiting on Ruby's friend." Yang said.

"Nora should be here with her any moment." Ruby assured them.

After a few minutes of waiting, Nora arrived, followed by a girl. She had pale skin and bright orange hair. She looked a bit awkward. "Salutations, my name is Penny." She said enthusiastically.

Aigis and Penny stared at each other, and a look of dread appeared on Penny's face. "You are…" Aigis started.

"Penny's my friend." Ruby cut her off while gesturing for her to not say anything. "Let's get started." She quickly changed the subject.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Joy_ (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

After working all through the day, the group met up at Beacon's practice range to show off and test their new weapons. First up was Ruby and Yu's effort. Yu stepped forward and drew a katana from a scabbard on his hip. After a few skillful swings at a holographic practice dummy, he slid the weapon back into its sheath. "Yu said he was familiar with katanas, so that's what we went with for the melee form of the weapon." Ruby explained. Yu pulled the sheathed sword off his hip and held it in front of him. With a twist of the handle, it transformed into a bullpup assault rifle. He aimed it down the firing range and took a few fully automatic shots, producing a somewhat scattered grouping. "He still needs to work on his marksmanship though." Ruby admitted. Yu shrugged and returned the weapon to its sword form, slipping it back onto his hip. "Weiss, what have you come up with?" Ruby asked.

Naoto stepped up to the practice dummy holding a rapier-like sword. "I have some training in fencing, though it is woefully inadequate." Naoto admitted. She took a few precise stabs at the dummy.

"Since she has experience with firearms, I thought something more specialized would be appropriate." Weiss explained. "Her revolver is alright, but it lacks the necessary power." Naoto pushed a button and the sword transformed into a rifle with a telescopic sight. Its frame was skeletal, but all the important contact points were present. She shouldered the weapon and took aim down the firing range, shooting three bull's-eyes with the semi-automatic rifle. "See, I think it fits her well." Weiss said proudly.

"The recoil is a bit much." Naoto complained. "I'll get used to it though. Blake and Yukiko, what did you come up with?"

Yukiko stepped up to the firing range nervously. She hefted her intimidating weapon and pushed a button. The bulky gun emitted a whirring sound. Yukiko pulled the trigger and a chakram fired from the end of the barrel, scything through the target dead center. "It doesn't really have a melee application." Blake said. "Given her relative physical fragility, I thought it unwise for her to engage in close combat anyway. The gun takes a long time to fire, but in a pinch she can throw the chakrams by hand and still do serious damage." Yukiko stepped back, seemingly relieved to be done testing the terrifying-looking weapon. "Yang and Chie, what have you got?"

Chie eagerly rushed up to the target dummy and kicked it in the face. A shotgun blast fired from her greave as she made contact. "It's basically the same as my weapon but for kicks." Yang explained. "They're triggered by the button's she's holding."

"Us next!" Nora said excitedly, pushing Rise forward. Rise held what looked to be a rather unwieldy sledgehammer. Despite appearances, she swung it with ease, as if it weighed little. The flip of a switch converted the hammer into a gun with the appearance of a shotgun. Rise fired down the range, unleashing a blast of directed energy that seared the target. The laser-like weapon seemed to have no recoil. "The hammer uses a modulated gravitational field to allow for easy handling but it still hits with tremendous force. The gun fires a stream of energy at the target that should burn through just about anything given enough time." Nora looked incredibly satisfied with the outcome and Rise was fairly happy with the weapon as well.

"Can I go next?!" Teddie asked impatiently. The others nodded and he stepped up to the target dummy. He swiped at it, metal claws extending from his hand.

"I figured we shouldn't fight against the whole bear thing, so I just went with the theme." Helia said. Teddie happily skipped over to the firing range and pointed the claws at the target. "The claws can be fired by a standard dust charges." Helia explained. With a bang the claws launched from his fist and slammed into the target. Teddie reeled them back in by retracting their tethers. "Sun, go ahead."

Yosuke stepped up to the target dummy holding two recurved short swords. He made a series of slashes at the target before hooking the two together. With the push of a button they formed into a submachinegun that Aigis thought resembled an MP7. "He wanted two small blades, so in order to make them an effective gun they had to be combined." Sun explained. Yosuke aimed the gun down the firing range and fired a burst. The shots hit the target but were all over the place. "It's still not that accurate." Sun admitted. "Well Neptune, let's see what you've got."

Kanji stepped up to the target dummy holding with what appeared to be spiked brass knuckles on each hand. As he punched, the spikes extended further adding extra impact. "This guy's pretty strong, so I figured I didn't need to add much." Neptune said. With the push of a button, each brass knuckle transformed into a semi-automatic pistol. Kanji aimed down the firing range and took a several shots, but few hit the target. "He really needs to work on the accuracy." Neptune commented. "I don't think it's that relevant though, because he'll probably just punch whatever he's fighting."

"I guess that just leaves us." Aigis said. Penny seemed a bit nervous. "I already have firearms covered, so Penny and I decided to go with a strictly melee weapon." She stepped up to the target dummy, wielding what appeared to be a rather bulky spear. She stabbed at the target and as she did, a small blast extended the spear by another two feet, adding tremendous force and range to the attack. "It packs quite a punch." Aigis added. It did indeed. No human could wield it without self-injury.

"Well, let's go back and see how Labrys and Jaune are doing." Ruby said. The group started to head out.

"We'll see you guys later." Sun said with a wave. "Our team has plans." He and Neptune headed off.

"Penny, do you mind if I speak to you for a moment?" Aigis asked after all the others except Ruby had gone. Penny looked nervous and could not find the words.

Ruby saw what was happening and came over. "You can trust Aigis, she's a friend."

"Okay." Penny said apprehensively. "What is it…friend?"

"I am sure you have noticed that I am a robot." Aigis said. "My sister and I are the only two of our kind in the world we come from. I was surprised to meet another mechanical maiden here. I was just curious as to how you came to be."

"It's alright Penny, you can trust her." Ruby assured. "Your secret's safe with us."

"I am the first synthetic being capable of generating an aura, though I can sense that I am not the only one any longer." Penny said. "I've been told that my purpose is to save the world, but I don't know what that means exactly."

"My creation and that of my sister is somewhat similar." Aigis said. "It is comforting to know that even on a world so different, a being as unique as myself can find someone with a common purpose."

"I think you two will make great friends." Ruby said cheerfully.

"Are you my friend?" Penny asked Aigis.

"Of course." Aigis replied. "We have shared our secret with each other, and you have helped me greatly. We are certainly friends."

"Sensational!" Penny exclaimed. "So friend, what should we do now?"

"I am not sure." Aigis answered.

"Actually, I think there's something you can help us with." Ruby said. "Nora needs to rest, but it's hard to get her to. Helia has been trying, but she won't listen. Maybe the two of you could work together to make sure Nora gets the rest she needs tonight."

"I would be glad to help." Penny said eagerly.

* * *

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Ruby asked Jaune.

"I'm sure." Jaune replied. "I can't stand another night just waiting there. I'm going to help you rescue my team. I have my Persona now, and I'm not just going to wait around while you're out there fighting."

"Alright, but don't push yourself too hard." Ruby relented. "By the way, can you tell me what happened to you guys? How did you end up in those places?"

"Well, we went to check out those weird rumors, and sure enough the Tower transformed and some of the buildings changed." Jaune explained. "After that, I don't really remember. I just woke up in the weird museum. I was alone until that fake Weiss showed up at about the same time you all did."

* * *

Getting Nora to sleep was easier than they had feared. True to form, as soon as her usual bedtime rolled around, Nora fell asleep like a switch had been flipped in her head. Still, Helia and Penny stayed with her to make sure she was not faking or did not wake up and try to join the group in fighting. If she was awake, Nora would certainly want to fight beside the others, but she needed to rest, even if she would not admit it. Another trip to the Velvet Room confirmed that another completed bond had been awakened by Ruby. With the power of the Lovers Arcana, she and the other Wild Cards could now wield the Persona Ishtar. Rise located Pyrrha. She was in the amphitheater and Team RWBY, along with Aigis, Labrys and Jaune, would go after her next. The Investigation Team would again explore the Tower now that the next blockage had been removed.

* * *

Upon entering Pyrrha's world, the group was greeted by the sound of a roaring crowd. They found themselves standing in a place Aigis thought looked similar to the Roman Coliseum. A crowd of featureless silhouettes cheered the new arrivals until a booming voice made an announcement. "Welcome to the tournament!" The voice shouted, followed by a roar from the crowd. "Our competitors have arrived and we can finally get underway!"

"I'm going to go ahead and assume he means us." Yang said.

"What does this have to do with Pyrrha?" Jaune asked.

"You do realize she's one of the world's most famous fighters." Blake replied. "This place seems a bit archaic, but I've got to believe she's fought in plenty of stadiums."

"Our first contest will be a series of single combats between two teams of four." The voice cut off their discussion. "Select your team for this stage of the competition!"

"Four huh?" Ruby said. "Sounds perfect. Team RWBY will handle this one." The others agreed. Team RWBY stepped forward into a spotlight at the center of the area to signal their intention to fight.

"Our first round will be Team RWBY against Team CFVY!" The voice yelled excitedly. Team CFVY stepped out of the darkness and into the spotlight across from Team RWBY. It was hard to explain why, but it was obvious that they were shadows, not the genuine article. "First up for Team CFVY will be their leader Coco Adel! Who dares face this mighty fighter?!"

"Team CFVY is really strong." Weiss said. "How can we expect to beat them?"

"They're not the real CFVY." Yang replied. "And besides, we have Personas and they don't. So, who are we matching up with?"

"I'll fight Coco." Ruby volunteered. "I think my speed will be good against her. Her weapon is powerful, but it's unwieldy, and I don't think she can keep up."

"I'll take Velvet." Blake said. "I know her pretty well, and I have a few ideas about how to beat her."

"Yatsuhashi's mine." Yang said confidently. "If I can stay inside his blade's effective range, he won't be able to do any damage."

"Well, I guess that leaves me with Fox." Weiss concluded. "Let's get this over with."

Ruby stepped forward and joined Shadow Coco in the center of the area. "Our first match is between Coco Adel and Ruby Rose!" The voice announced as the crowd cheered. "It's a battle of team leaders. Who will come out on top?"

*Recommended Music: _Caffeine_ (RWBY v2 Soundtrack), continue through all CFVY battles*

A buzzer sounded and Ruby charged straight at Shadow Coco, using shots from Crescent Rose to propel her forward. The shadow did not move a muscle. As Ruby approached she jumped and spun, swinging the blunt edge of her weapon around with tremendous speed. Just as the thunderous swing was about to land, Shadow Coco casually lifted her handbag and stopped Ruby's attack dead. As Ruby dropped back to the ground, the shadow kicked her in the chest. Ruby went flying, tumbling across the ground until she dug Crescent Rose into the ground to halt her momentum.

Shadow Coco transformed her handbag into its Gatling gun form. Ruby used her semblance to zip around the room, staying just ahead of the gun's shots. The shadow gave up trying to hit her and stopped firing as Ruby continued to race around. Shadow Coco aimed for a spot in Ruby's path and shot at the ground, causing the floor to fracture and partially collapse. Ruby arrived at the spot and tripped, slamming face-first into the ground. With a smirk, the shadow took aim at the downed Huntress and fired. Ruby fired Crescent Rose just in time to push herself out of the path of the devastating fire.

Ruby summoned her Persona Summer Rose and blasted the shadow with wind. Shadow Coco stumbled backward, her gun firing wildly as she lost her balance. Ruby took the opportunity to attack, using her semblance and added propulsion from Crescent Rose to fly at the shadow. Shadow Coco struggled back to her feet just as Ruby arrived, swinging her scythe around. The shadow had no time to react, and Crescent Rose sliced it in half. The shadow dissolved and disappeared.

"What a match!" The voice yelled excitedly.

Ruby was exhausted and beat up, but luckily she would not have to fight next. She rejoined the rest of the group. "They're really tough." Ruby warned. "Don't take them lightly." She was still trying to catch her breath.

Shadow Fox and Weiss stepped into the center of the area. "Our next battle is between Fox Alistair and Weiss Schnee." The voice announced. "Can the heiress defeat this powerful and experience fighter?"

The buzzer sounded to signal the start of the fight. Both fighters stared each other down. The shadow seemed unwilling to attack, so Weiss made the first move. Using her glyphs she slid at Shadow Fox, but it easily deflected her attack, causing her to slide past. The shadow punished her mistake by punching her in the back of the head. Weiss spun around, swinging Myrtenaster violently, but Shadow Fox leapt backward and out of the attack's range. She stabbed at it aggressively, but the shadow sidestepped and brought one of its blades around at Weiss' throat. She stretched to dodge the attack, but it managed to just scrape across her neck, drawing a trickle of blood. She summoned her Persona and froze Shadow Fox's feet in place, giving her the chance to regroup.

Weiss slid forward again. Shadow Fox attempted the same maneuver as before, but Weiss stopped just short, causing the shadow to stumble. She thrust Myrtenaster at it, but Shadow Fox recovered quickly and caught her blade with his. It attempted to twist the sword out of her hand, but Weiss acrobatically flipped with twist, putting the shadow off balance again. She summoned her Persona Ananke and it smacked Shadow Fox in the back of the head. It was enough of a distraction to allow Weiss to run the shadow through with Myrtenaster. Shadow Fox looked down at the blade jammed into its midsection and swiped repeatedly at Weiss who dodged while keeping a hold on her blade. She cycled Myrtenaster and lanced through the shadow with a blast of fire. With a gaping hole in its midsection, the shadow collapsed, dissolved and disappeared.

"That was thrilling!" The voice yelled.

Weiss wiped the remaining blood off her neck. The wound had already been healed by her aura. "Don't screw around." Weiss warned as Blake stepped forward to fight next.

"Now we have Blake Belladonna versus Velvet Scarlatina." The voice announced. "It's an all Faunus round!"

As soon as the buzzer sounded, Shadow Velvet started to reach for its pouch. Blake, knowing the key to winning was to stop Velvet from unleashing her exceptional power, charged straight at the shadow. Shadow Velvet jumped to the side as Blake slashed Gambol Shroud through the space the shadow had just occupied. She was met with a high kick to the face and stumbled back as the shadow assaulted her with a series of kicks and punches. Blake fired Gambol Shroud at Shadow Velvet, and though they missed, it was enough to get the shadow to back off. Shadow Velvet reengaged, aiming at Blake with a flying kick. The kick hit an explosive decoy, sending the shadow flipping through the air. Blake attempted to slash it with Gambol Shroud, but the shadow recovered midair and blocked the attack. After a series of strikes by both combatants, all blocked, the two separated.

Shadow Velvet again went for her pouch. Blake summoned her Persona Diana, and it fired an arrow at the shadow's back. It hit the target and the shadow was pushed forward, toward Blake who was already rushing to attack. She swung Gambol Shroud at Shadow Velvet, but the shadow dodged and caught her arm. A twist and pull had Blake off balance. The shadow kneed her hard in the midsection, knocking her up into the air. Shadow Velvet then grabbed Blake's leg and slammed her into the ground on her back. Blake lay there dazed as the shadow reached into its pouch, confidently approaching her. Suddenly, Blake leapt to her feet, firing Gambol Shroud at the surprised shadow. The bullets slammed into Shadow Velvet's head, tearing it apart. The shadow dissolved and disappeared.

"I really thought Blake was a goner there!" The voice shouted. "Can our final match possibly live up to that one?"

"That was rough." Blake admitted. "It's really hard to fight a friend, even if it's just a shadow that looks like a friend."

"Well, I've never even spoken to Yatsuhashi, so I think I'll be alright." Yang said confidently. She walked to the center of the area, joining Shadow Yatsuhashi.

"Our final match of the first round sees Yatsuhashi Daichi face off against Yang Xiao Long." The voice announced. "Can this passionate girl defeat the giant?!"

The buzzer sounded and Yang charged at the motionless shadow. As she approached, Shadow Yatsuhashi lifted its sword, taking a massive swing at Yang. Yang easily dodged the strike, closing the distance and hitting the shadow with a flurry of strikes to the face and chest. Shadow Yatsuhashi was unmoved by the assault and delivered a devastating elbow to Yang's jaw. She flipped backwards but landed on her feet, immediately charging back in. Instead of trying to attack her directly, the shadow slammed its sword into the ground with tremendous force, sending out a shockwave that sent Yang tumbling into the air. Shadow Yatsuhashi slammed its sword into Yang's chest, using it to smash her into the ground. It lifted its sword for another strike, but Yang dove out of the way just as the blade swung past. She summoned her Persona and attacked the shadow with fire to give her time to regroup.

Yang stood opposite the shadow. It appeared entirely unaffected by their battle, totally calm and ready to fight again. It was like the shadow was mocking her. Yang was enraged. Her hair burst into flames and her eyes glowed red as she charged back at the shadow. Shadow Yatsuhashi swung its sword at her, and instead of dodging she punched it out of the way, causing the shadow to overextend. She jumped and delivered a shattering punch, boosted by Ember Celica, directly to the shadow's temple. It fell to the ground with a thud. Yang jumped on top of Shadow Yatsuhashi and rained down powerful blows to its face until its head disintegrated under the assault. The shadow dissolved and disappeared, Yang still punching at its amorphous remains.

"Remind me never to get her angry!" The voice said excitedly. "That concludes round one of the tournament! A 4-0 sweep by Team RWBY, what a shock! We'll be back after a short break for round two!" The crowd roared as the lights faded.

"I really hate this place." Yang seethed. "Making light of fights to the death, it's sick."

"At least we got through the first part." Ruby said. "I'm sure we can handle whatever's thrown at us."

"I hope I don't have to fight again." Blake said. "I'm still hurting from my fight. Looking at the rest of you, I'd say you're all less than 100%." Blake was right, and the fights were likely to only get more difficult.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _This Strange Sensation_ (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

Helia worked away on Coral's revolver as Penny watched intently. Nora slept soundly, snoring loudly. "Can I help?" Penny asked. Those were the first words she had said in the hour or so she and Helia had been together. Previously, she had been content to simply observe.

"I don't think so." Helia said. "The transformation just isn't as smooth as it should be. Maybe it was damaged." She worked away at one of the parts with her tools. "I just need to adjust it."

"Please allow me to." Penny implored.

"Oh alright." Helia sighed. She handed the weapon and tool to Penny.

Penny looked closely at the weapon, transforming it from a gun into a blade and back a few times before using the tools to make a minute, almost imperceptible, adjustment. "That should do it." She said confidently. She proudly handed the weapon and tools back to Helia.

"I don't know about that." Helia said skeptically. She hit the button to transform the weapon and it worked perfectly. She transformed it back and forth several times to make sure. She was shocked. "How did you do that?"

"There was some dirt in the mechanism and that screw was just a little too tight." Penny explained.

"I think you might have a future working on weapons." Helia said. Penny just smiled. Helia's scroll buzzed and she pulled it out of her pocket. She looked at the message and her anxiety was evident.

"Is something wrong?" Penny asked with concern.

"No, it's nothing." Helia lied. "There's something I have to take care of. Wait here with Nora; I'll be back in a bit." She slipped Coral's gun into her holster and picked up her own weapon as she headed out.

* * *

"There's another…special shadow ahead." Rise reported. "It's just a few floors away." They had made great progress through the Tower, facing only weak shadows. Now they had reason to be concerned.

"What do you mean by 'special'?" Yukiko asked.

"I mean it's like the shadows for Yosuke and Chie." Rise explained. "I think one of us is in for a showdown." That was bad news. Even if the fight may not be particularly difficult, the psychological damage could be considerable. None of them wanted to face that, not again. They had all worked hard to overcome their failings and insecurities, but they were all aware that they still had weaknesses a shadow could exploit. They had been in good spirits, the fights they had faced giving them confidence. This put a damper on things.

"I'm sure whoever it is will be fine." Yosuke said. "Me and Chie got through it." It was hard to agree when he did not sound so sure himself. It also did not help that his mood had still not totally recovered from his encounter with Shadow Saki. It was always going to be difficult to face a personal shadow.


	10. Against Myself

Chapter 10

"The second round of the competition will feature two teams of two battling against each other!" The voice announced after a few minutes of silence. "Teams, select your competitors!"

"My sister and I will handle this." Aigis volunteered. "The four of you need rest."

"What about me?" Jaune asked.

"You are inexperienced in fighting shadows." Aigis said. "You should observe our fights and learn. I am sure your skills will be tested in time." Jaune was disappointed, but Aigis was right and he was not going to argue. Aigis and Labrys stepped forward to indicate their participation in the coming battle.

"Who will face this pair of mechanical maidens?" The voice boomed. "This is surprising! They will be opposed by another pair of robots!" Two individuals stepped into the light across from Aigis and Labrys. One looked just like Labrys, save for a deranged expression. It was clearly a representation of her shadow. The other was clad in black armor and wielded an axe, though it was much smaller than the one used by Labrys.

"No way!" Jaune exclaimed. "Aigis and Labrys are robots!?" Team RWBY looked at him like he was an idiot. "I thought they just had weird armor." His explanation did not change their opinion.

"Metis?" Aigis was shocked. Metis was originally a physical manifestation of Aigis' emotions and played a prominent role in a shadow incident before being reunited with Aigis. Aigis knew this Metis was nothing more than a shadow clone, but it was still surprising to see her after all this time. All shadows were manifestations of the subconscious, so Metis must have come from Aigis' on mind. Did Metis and the circumstances that generated her still have that much of a hold on Aigis? There was no time to figure that out now.

"Which team of automatons will come out on top?" The voice shouted as the crowd roared. "Let's get round two under way!"

*Recommended Music: _Heartful Cry -In Mayonaka Arena- _(Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

"Can you handle your shadow?" Aigis asked.

"Yeah." Labrys replied confidently.

"I will take care of…the other one then." Aigis said.

The buzzer sounded and the fight was on. For a moment, the combatants stood still, taking stock of their opponents. Aigis aimed her hand guns at Metis, forcing her to make the first move. Shadow Labrys laughed and charged at Labrys while Metis dove out of the way of Aigis' incoming fire. Shadow Labrys unleashed an underhand swing of her axe which was blocked by Labrys, though it was powerful enough to life her off her feet. The shadow immediately leapt after her, swinging her axe wildly. Using the rocket boosters on her own axe, Labrys repeatedly dodged out of the way of her shadow's attacks until they both landed.

Aigis continued to shoot at Metis as the latter darted side-to-side while attempting to close the distance. A few of Aigis' bullets struck their target, but they did no discernable damage. Metis got close enough to strike and swung her axe horizontally at Aigis. Aigis blocked the attack with one heavily armored forearm, and used her other arm to grab her new spear. She spun toward Metis, knocking Metis' axe aside with her spear before lunging ahead. Metis dropped under the thrust and with a kick, swept Aigis' legs out from under her. Aigis stopped her fall with her free hand and used her spear to block Metis' axe as it slammed down at her. Aigis pivoted on her arm and kicked Metis in the chest, sending her staggering backward.

Labrys and her shadow simultaneously swung at each other, their axes smashing together in a shower of sparks. The two separated and Shadow Labrys summoned her Persona Asterius. The Persona had the appearance of a chained Minotaur engulfed in flames. With a wave of its clawed hand, the bestial Persona unleashed a wave of fire at Labrys. She ducked, using her axe as a shield, and managed to endure the attack. Labrys summoned her own Persona Ariadne who laid circular glyphs on the ground around Shadow Labrys. The shadow took a careless step, hitting a glyph, and spectral spears shot up from the ground, tossing Shadow Labrys into the air. Labrys leapt at temporarily helpless her shadow and flipped vertically into a swing of her axe. Before she could land the hit, Asterius grabbed her in one of its claws and threw her to the ground. A floating red string surrounded Asterius before closing tightly around it. It roared in pain as Ariadne's attack dug into its flesh. Seeing her Persona under attack and feeling the pain, Shadow Labrys charged at Ariadne and with a mighty horizontal swing, sent the Persona tumbling. Nearing the limits of their endurance, both withdrew their Personas.

Aigis and Metis circled each other carefully, weapons at the ready. Metis suddenly leapt backward and summoned her Persona Psyche. It had the appearance of a butterfly with sickly thin wings at the head, with an elegant dress at the tail. It unleashed a blast of wind at Aigis, but she summoned her own Persona Pallas Athena. Psyche's attack broke on Pallas Athena's shield before the latter charged, spear first, at the former. Psyche barely dodged the attack, but found itself behind its attacker. A blast of ice into the back of Pallas Athena caused it to slam into the ground as Aigis doubled over in pain. She withdrew her Persona as Psyche attacked her directly. She dove to the side, firing at the Persona as Metis cried in pain. Metis withdrew her Persona as well, leaving just the two mechanical maidens to fight each other hand-to-hand. They were dangerously evenly matched.

"I didn't think I'd have to do this, but I guess I'll have to pull out all the stops." Metis said. "Neo-Orgia Mode engaged!" Metis' body charged with power as her safety limiters disengaged. She ran straight at Aigis with incredible speed, and Aigis was only just able to dodge the incoming axe as Metis rushed past.

"Orgia Mode engaged!" Aigis shouted. With her own limiters disabled, she could just about match Metis' speed and power.

Metis swung her axe vertically at Aigis who blocked the attack with her free forearm. Aigis slid her spear into position and fired, but Metis dodged as the spear extended to twice its normal length with tremendous speed and force. Metis kicked the spear aside, spinning Aigis ninety degrees, and slammed her axe into Aigis' side armor. The armor cracked subtly but held, allowing Aigis to shoulder-block Metis, pushing her back. Aigis jumped back to increase the distance and fired at Metis, but her bullets had no effect. Metis charged and swung her axe horizontally. Aigis dodged and dive-rolled forward, putting her behind Metis. She whipped her spear around, aimed it between Metis' shoulder blades and fired. The spear tore through Metis, accompanied by the deafening screech of rending metal, punching clean through her torso and pushing her Plume of Dusk out through her chest. Metis went limp, collapsing to the ground in a heap as Aigis withdrew her weapon. Metis dissolved and disappeared.

Labrys and her shadow struggled to gain the advantage, trading blows with their axes, most of which were blocked. With Orgia mode activated, Aigis was close to overheating and if she was going to help Labrys, she had to do so quickly. She summoned the Persona Ishtar. It had the appearance of a beautiful but horned woman clad in a flowing white gown. "Labrys, get back!" Aigis shouted. Labrys tried to gain some separation, but her shadow was just as capable of hearing the order. Shadow Labrys refused to give Labrys and space, staying close and pressing the attack. With only moments left before she would be disabled, Aigis could not wait any longer. A bolt of electricity from Ishtar surged through Labrys and her shadow. After writhing for a few moments, both dropped to the ground, motionless. Shadow Labrys dissolved and disappeared.

"Aigis and Labrys have won!" The voice shouted. "But at what price?" Aigis overheated and dropped to her knees as her systems shut down and restarted, smoke pouring from the discs on the sides of her head. Labrys lay motionless where she had fallen. "The final round will take place in just a few minutes. Can they possibly be ready?"

Ruby and Yang dragged Aigis away from the combat area while Blake and Weiss did the same with Labrys. Ruby used the Persona Kikuri-Hime to try to heal Aigis, but it had no effect. Blake used her Persona to heal Labrys who soon regained consciousness, but was still clearly damaged. "I can't heal Aigis." Ruby said with concern.

"She's overheated." Labrys informed her. "There's nothin' to heal, she needs to cool down." Labrys winced as she stood, clearly in pain.

"Who was Metis?" Yang asked.

"Metis is, in some ways, my shadow." Aigis said, her systems coming back online. She stumbled but managed to get back to her feet. "I faced her a long time ago." Aigis walked over to Labrys and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright? I am sorry."

"I'll be okay." Labrys assured her less than convincingly. "You did what you had to, there's no need to be sorry."

"It worries me that the only one of us in shape to fight right now is Jaune." Blake observed.

"I won't lie; I'm not thrilled about it either." Jaune said. "Those looked like really tough fights." He turned to Aigis and Labrys. "It's so cool that you're robots! It's like a comic book!"

"Now it's time for the final round!" The voice announced. "Our victors will take on the one and only Pyrrha Nikos!"

* * *

"The shadow is on the next floor." Rise reported. "It's got to be for one of us, I can feel it."

"It sure smells familiar." Teddie added. "For some reason it gets me really worked up!"

The Investigation Team carefully ascended the stairs to the next floor. Again they found a large dark area. "Alright, come on out so we can kick your ass!" Kanji challenged the unseen enemy.

"Hohohohoho." The shadow laughed.

"I'd know that laugh anywhere." Yukiko sighed.

The lights came on to reveal Yukiko's shadow doppelganger, the one she had faced in the TV world, sitting on a throne atop a set of stairs. "My princes have finally come." The shadow said. "There are so many of you this time! How exciting!"

Yukiko marched forward, boldly challenging her shadow. "I've had enough of you!" She shouted. "I've changed. I'm not helpless anymore. There's no place for you."

"Have you really changed that much?" The shadow asked. "It's hard to tell. You're still living in Inaba, hanging around with Chie and fated to take over the family inn."

"It's all by choice." Yukiko countered. "It's not because I feel like I'm bound to do it. I make my own fate, all on my own."

"Is that so?" The shadow asked. "Who are you trying to convince? Me or you? You can rationalize it however you want, but you're the same as before. It's not surprising though. Even if you wanted to make your own way you couldn't. You've been trying to learn to cook for over a year now, and you still can't make anything that won't make people sick. What else have you been working on? Nothing! You're hopeless. You're going to coast along with your assigned fate, or you'll try to change it and fail. That's all there is to it."

"At least I'm trying." Yukiko shot back. "That's a hell of a lot more than I would have done before. I don't just sit around feeling sorry for myself anymore. I'm going to keep trying, and even if I fail, I won't give up."

"Oh come one now." The shadow said. "Just admit it. You're just learning to cook so you can snag a man. Who would want a woman who can't cook? Maybe you can find a man who can turn things around and save you from your boring life."

"I don't need a man!" Yukiko screamed. "I don't need anyone! I can do anything I set my mind to, and I don't need anyone's help to do it!"

"I've got to give you credit, you sound confident." The shadow taunted. "I'll give you a chance to back that up." Suddenly, a metal cage appeared out of thin air and dropped down around Yukiko and her shadow, cutting them off from the others. "You say you don't need anyone, so fight me alone. We'll see just how independent you are."

"I've defeated you before, I'll do it again." Yukiko said.

"I must warn you, I've learned a new trick." The shadow taunted. "Tsukuyomi!" A Persona appeared above the shadow. It had the appearance of a man wearing a black and white striped suit and cape partly covered by a grey and red overcoat. A crest that looked like melted metal rose from its golden-masked face. It wielded a black sword with a similar melted-metal appearance. Yukiko recognized it as Sho Minazuki's Persona. "Still think you can handle me all by yourself?"

"Let's do this!" Yukiko shouted. "Sumeo-Okami!"

* * *

Labrys examined the cracks in Aigis' armor. "I'm gonna' have to wait until we get back to the dorms to fix this." She reported. "I don't think you should fight if you can help it."

A spotlight illuminated the center of the combat area. Pyrrha stood there, looking somewhat confused. "Pyrrha!" Jaune called, rushing toward her. He slammed into an invisible barrier.

"There is a shadow here too." Aigis warned.

Another figure joined Pyrrha in the spotlight. It appeared to be Jaune. "That's not the real me!" The real Jaune shouted, banging on the invisible wall. Pyrrha took no notice of the commotion.

"Jaune, what are you doing here?" Pyrrha asked. "What's going on?"

"I just came to see you do your thing." Shadow Jaune replied. "You're a world-famous fighter; I thought I'd see for myself."

"I'm flattered, but I don't have any idea what this place is or how I got here." Pyrrha admitted. She thought Jaune was acting a bit strange. "I'm glad you're here though. We should leave; I'm sure the others are worried."

"I bet you're glad I'm here." Shadow Jaune laughed. "Since we met you've been desperate to spend time with me."

Pyrrha was shocked. "Well, you're fun to hang around with." Pyrrha said. "You're a good friend."

"But you wish we were more than just friends." Shadow Jaune taunted. "It's a shame that's not going to happen. I'm much more interested in Weiss, or, well, any other girl."

"Jaune, what's wrong with you?" Pyrrha was getting angry but tried hard to not show it. She clenched her fists, digging her nails into her own skin.

"You should be used to it though." Shadow Jaune continued. "Nobody wants to be with you, at least not on terms you can accept. Sure, some people are attracted to your fame or you wealth, but they're not attracted to you. You're too intimidating. I might be the only person who doesn't feel that way, but I'm not interested all the same. I guess you'll be alone forever."

Something about this Jaune did not feel right to Pyrrha. "You're not Jaune." She accused.

"You're clever." Shadow Jaune said. "I will give you that. You're a great fighter. You're also doomed to die alone."

"That's not true." Pyrrha protested. "I'll find someone. Jaune is at least willing to be my friend."

"Why don't you just accept that he doesn't really care about you?" Shadow Jaune said. "He hangs around with you because it helps him. You're teaching him how to fight, and as long as he's nice to you, you won't reveal his secret. It's a purely parasitic relationship. He'd be dead without you. What do you get in return? Heartbreak."

"It's not true!" The real Jaune shouted, banging on the barrier.

"I don't think she can hear or see us." Blake observed. "You're going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that."

"That can't be true." Pyrrha said. She was not so sure. She could not find a hole in this Jaune's logic. She had spent her time chasing after Jaune, but he did not even seem to notice. He did gain a lot more from the relationship than she did, and keeping it going was certainly in his best interests.

"You will be alone forever." Shadow Jaune said. "Your life will continue to be one of unending sorrow. After all these years, surely you know that. The sooner you accept it, the better off you'll be."

Pyrrha tried to conceal her emotions, but she could not stop herself from crying. Maybe this Jaune was right. Maybe she was fated to a sad and lonely life. She dropped to her knees and hid her face in her hands as she cried.

"Well then, I think I've seen enough." Shadow Jaune said. "I'll put an end to your misery." The shadow drew its sword.

The real Jaune was filled with rage and fear. He took a few steps back from the barrier and charged at it with reckless abandon. To his surprise, it was no longer there. He stumbled into the spotlight with Pyrrha and Shadow Jaune, not sure what to do next. "Pyrrha, don't listen to him." He said.

"This is quite a surprise." Shadow Jaune said. "This gives me the opportunity to make sure Pyrrha dies alone. All I have to do is eliminate you." The shadow melted into a black blob before reforming by taking on Pyrrha's appearance. "This form should be suitable."

"It's time for the final round of the competition!" The voice boomed. The crowd roared. "We have Jaune Arc versus Pyrrha Nikos! The winner will be crowned champion of our tournament, the loser will die!"

Jaune backed up nervously. He could not imagine fighting Pyrrha, and could definitely not imagine defeating her. "Guys, what the heck am I going to do?" He asked the others.

"We're trapped behind the barrier." Ruby said. "It came back after you crossed it. You have to do this!"

"Use your Persona." Yang advised. "What kind of attacks does it have?"

"Attacks?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, like physical attacks, or ice or fire." Yang replied.

"It doesn't have any attacks." Jaune admitted. "It has some abilities that can make me and my allies stronger, but it doesn't have any attacks."

"He's doomed." Weiss said, shaking her head in disappointment. Blake elbowed her in the side. "I mean, you can do it…" She said without enthusiasm.

"Come on Jaune, you always wanted to be the hero." The shadow said. "Slay the monster, save the girl! Who'd have guessed the girl would slay you?" Jaune drew his sword and shield, holding them in fighting position. He was shaking.

"Let's get this fight underway!" The voice yelled.


	11. Invincible

Chapter 11

*Recommended Music: _Princess Amagi _(Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

"Burning Petals!" Yukiko shouted. Her Persona swept its arm across its body, unleashing a flurry of flower petals at Tsukuyomi.

"Red Wall." Yukiko's shadow said. A red sphere appeared around Tsukuyomi as the flower petals burst into flames, engulfing the Persona in fire. When the flames died away, Tsukuyomi stood there unhurt. "You're really too predictable." The shadow sneered.

"Fire Break." Yukiko countered. The red sphere around Tsukuyomi shattered. "Agidyne!" Her Persona unleashed a blast of fire at Tsukuyomi. It tumbled backward, tumbling in the air and burning. Yukiko's Persona charged, but Tsukuyomi recovered and swung its sword at Sumeo-Okami. Sumeo-Okami took the hit and spun away. A second sword swipe was dodged as Sumeo-Okami shot skyward, blasting fire down at Tsukuyomi. It dodged to the side, avoiding the flames, and both Personas returned to their wielders.

"Clever." Yukiko's shadow said. "You always were. Unfortunately it's not enough." Tsukuyomi charged at Sumeo-Okami, slashing its sword at the latter's head. Sumeo-Okami blocked the swipe with an arm, but Tsukuyomi followed up the attack with a kick to Sumeo-Okami's midsection. It slammed backward into the cage surrounding the combatants. Yukiko grabbed her stomach, feeling her Persona's pain. Tsukuyomi approached the injured Sumeo-Okami, but Yukiko attacked the Persona with her chakram launcher. The first razor-sharp disc cut through Tsukuyomi, but the Persona blocked the second with its sword. In retaliation, it rushed sword-first at Yukiko.

Yukiko dove away, throwing a chakram at Tsukuyomi as it slammed into the ground where she had stood. A blast of fire sent Tsukuyomi scrambling as Sumeo-Okami returned. Tsukuyomi slashed repeatedly at Sumeo-Okami who darted side to side to avoid the attacks. Another blast of fire forced Tsukuyomi back, and again the combatants faced each other at a distance.

"I'm done playing games." The shadow declared. "Life Drain!" Tsukuyomi reached out a hand toward Sumeo-Okami. Beams of light were sucked from Sumeo-Okami and into Tsukuyomi.

Yukiko could feel herself weaken. She felt light-headed and her eyesight blurred. "Burning Petals." She whispered in desperation. Flower petals surrounded Tsukuyomi and burst into flames, incinerating the Persona. Yukiko's shadow screamed in pain as its Persona faded to static and disappeared, followed shortly thereafter by Yukiko's own Persona. Both combatants dropped to their knees in pain and exhaustion.

"Why won't you be a good girl and die?" Yukiko's shadow said. It stumbled to its feet but fell back down on its face. "I've had quite enough." The shadow tried to lift itself off the ground but immediately collapsed.

"I could say the same about you." Yukiko said from her knees. She bent over and rested on all fours. "Just accept that I've changed and that I'm better than you." She struggled to catch her breath, rolling onto her back.

"I'm going to end you!" The shadow yelled. It began slowly crawling toward Yukiko.

Yukiko sat up and faced the approaching shadow as it struggled along. She was feeling stronger; perhaps her Aura was healing her. She managed to stand, barely able to keep her balance, her legs aching. "It's over." Yukiko declared. She swung her chakram launcher around and pointed it at the shadow.

"I agree." The shadow said with a twisted smile. It suddenly sprung up and rushed at Yukiko. Yukiko tried to shoot, but the shadow pushed the weapon aside, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off the ground. "I can't believe you fell for that. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

Yukiko struggled to breathe, but the shadow's hand was clamped tightly around her neck. She tried to aim her weapon at it but the shadow brushed it away. She flailed and punched at the shadow, but it ignored her strikes. She could feel her consciousness fading. She had to do something now. She felt around her back and found one of the chakrams for her gun. If Yukiko's shadow could reach her neck, she could reach its neck. She swung the chakram around and across the shadow's throat. It released its grip at once and staggered back, clutching at its neck. "You should have listened to me." Yukiko said. "I've changed and I'm a better person now." Black goo oozed out of the shadows neck and through its fingers until the shadow collapsed entirely, dissolving and disappearing.

The cage lifted and the others rushed to Yukiko's side. "Remind me to never piss you off." Yosuke said.

"Are you alright?" Yu asked.

"I'll be fine." Yukiko said as she rubbed her throat. "It doesn't matter what that monster said, I've changed."

"Does that mean I can score with you now?" Teddie asked.

Yukiko shoved the chakram right up to Teddie's face. "I told you to never mention that again." She growled. Teddie fainted.

"Yep, I'm going to make a point of never making you angry." Yosuke said.

"Alright, calm down Yukiko." Chie said with a nervous laugh. "Let's get back and see how the others are doing."

"That sounds good." Yukiko said with a smile, her anger gone. "So do you think Teddie will ever bring that up again?"

"For his sake, I hope not." Kanji said. They were all just a little afraid of Yukiko now.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _I'll Face Myself -Battle- _(Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

The buzzer rang as Jaune and the shadow, having taken on Pyrrha's appearance, faced off in the center of the stadium. "Alright, I can do this." Jaune said to himself.

"I hadn't expected to face such a weak opponent." The shadow taunted. "I thought I would have to face her. Fortunately, her psyche was more fragile than I anticipated." Pyrrha remained on her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"You'll pay for this!" Jaune shouted. He charged at Shadow Pyrrha, attacking with a backhand swing of his blade. The shadow easily blocked the attack with Akouo before sticking out its leg to trip Jaune. He fell flat on his face as the shadow laughed at him. Jaune stood and approached the shadow more carefully. The two circled, each looking for an opening to attack. The shadow seemed to let its guard down and Jaune took the opportunity to push Akouo out of the way with his own shield. He stabbed straight for the shadow's heart but it knocked his sword aside with Milo. Jaune was off balance and the shadow elbowed him in the face before winding up for a mighty swing of Milo. Jaune was just able to raise his shield in time, deflecting the incoming attack. The shadow unleashed a frenzy of slashes at him, but he was able to block them all. Now it was the shadow that had overextended and Jaune punched it in the face with his shield. It backed up, and the two fighters returned to circling each other.

"Not bad." The shadow said. "I guess I'll actually have to try."

Jaune disagreed. He had not done very well. All his skill and concentration had only been enough to stop him from being killed immediately. He was not sure he could keep it up. "Pyrrha, please help me." Jaune pleaded.

"Why?" Pyrrha asked. "How am I supposed to trust you? You've caused me so much pain."

The shadow charged, slamming into Jaune with Akouo. He tumbled backward, rolling across the ground until he finally came to rest on his back. He staggered to his feet, feeling dizzy. The shadow transformed Milo into its javelin form and threw it at Jaune. He saw it at the last moment. "Tetrakarn!" He shouted. His Persona appeared and in a flash of light, the javelin was reflected. It tumbled through the air and smacked side-first into the shadow's face. It seemed surprised for a moment, but quickly composed itself. It picked Milo up and rushed at Jaune again. The shadow prepared to swing Milo, now in sword form, as approached at a full spring. "Tetrakarn!" Jaune yelled again. In a flash of light the sword bounced off his face and smacked into the shadow's chest. Jaune followed up with a series of slashes that the shadow was only just able to block. He swung his sword overhand with all his might, but the shadow blocked it. It then kicked him in the groin. He crumpled to the ground in pain.

Instead of finishing him off, the shadow decided to taunt him. "You've got some interesting tricks, but in the end, you're just not good enough."

"Pyrrha, I'm begging you." Jaune implored. "I may not exactly know what you want from me, but I do know that I'm your friend. I would never use you. You've got to believe me." Pyrrha had stopped crying but remained silent and still. Jaune sat up as the shadow transformed Milo into its rifle variant. It took aim and fired straight at his head. "Tetrakarn." He said. The bullet bounced off and zipped past the shadow. The struggled to his feet and raised his sword and shield again. "Tarukaja." Jaune was bathed in light as he slowly approached the shadow. He stabbed at the shadow. His attack forced Akouo aside and his sword sank into the shadow's side.

The shadow screamed in pain. It spun away and roundhouse kicked Jaune in the side of the head. He tumbled across the floor again. "You're finished!" The shadow screamed.

"Tetrakarn." Jaune said, expecting protection from the oncoming attack. The shadow raised its arm and electricity shot from its fingers. Jaune writhed as the electricity coursed through his body. He crawled slowly toward Pyrrha as the shadow approached him. "Pyrrha, I'll keep attacking this thing until it kills me if that proves I care about you." He pulled out his scroll and slid in front of her. "No more aura to protect me. This is all I've got."

"Less talking, more dying." The shadow said. It raised Milo above its head and thrust it down at Jaune. He rolled out of the way and managed to get to his feet.

"Sukukaja." Jaune said. He was again bathed in light. The shadow attacked, swing Milo wildly, but Jaune dodged with inhuman speed. The shadow attacked over and over but Jaune was too fast and none of the attacks could find their target. He stabbed back at the shadow but the attack was blocked by Akouo. He slashed at it but was blocked again. He dodged a kick from the shadow and hit it in the midsection with his shield. The shadow was pushed back but immediately lunged at him with Milo. Jaune sidestepped it and elbowed the shadow in the jaw. The shadow just turned its head, rage written all over its face. The light surrounding Jaune faded and the shadow slammed its shield into his face. Jaune stumbled back, struggling to maintain his balance as his vision blurred and the world seemed to spin. He pointed his sword at the shadow but it grabbed his wrist and twisted it. He dropped his sword as he groaned in pain. The shadow shoved him to the ground and Jaune fell flat on his back.

"Finally." The shadow hissed. "I can end this." It put the tip of Milo to Jaune's neck. "Some hero you turned out to be." The shadow put its weight behind Milo as it thrust the blade at Jaune, but the blade did not budge. "What is this crap?!" The shadow struggled to force the blade into his neck but to no avail. Suddenly, the blade was ripped out of its hand by an unseen force. Milo floated through the air and turned around.

Pyrrha stood in intense concentration, her arm outstretched. "I will not be alone!" She screamed. She swung her outstretched arm toward the shadow and Milo shot through the air, sinking into the shadow's chest. The shadow stumbled and fell before dissolving and disappearing. Pyrrha rushed to Jaune, kneeling beside him. "I'm so sorry I doubted you. You came here to save me and I almost let you die."

"It was nothing." Jaune said with a pained smile. "I'm sorry for not trying to understand how you feel. Maybe we don't feel the same way about each other, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends, and it doesn't mean we can't change."

"I can't believe he survived." Weiss said as the rest of the group, now free of the invisible barrier, approached. They ignored her.

Pyrrha was engulfed in a purple flame. A tarot card descended from above and shattered before her. The figure of a beautiful woman wearing a blue gown and wielding a sword and spear much like Pyrrha's. "Thetis." Pyrrha whispered the name of her Persona. She immediately fell unconscious.

"It she alright?" Jaune asked.

"She's unconscious, but she just needs to rest." Ruby said. "The same thing happened to you when you awakened your Persona."

"So she's unconscious?" Jaune asked. Ruby nodded. "I am in so much pain right now. I didn't want Pyrrha to see me cry." Tears began streaming down his face as Aigis helped him to his feet.

"Will you be able to walk out of here without assistance?" Aigis asked.

"I don't think so." Jaune replied. Aigis helpfully picked him up. "Please never speak of this." He said to everyone.

"I'll carry her." Labrys volunteered, picking Pyrrha up. The group headed out.

* * *

The Investigation Team was waiting as Team RWBY, Aigis, Labrys, Jaune and Pyrrha emerged from Pyrrha's shadow world. "Only one more person left to rescue." Yosuke said. He turned to Jaune, still being carried by Aigis. "What's wrong with you?"

"He is in too much pain to walk." Aigis explained.

"My Persona says his injuries aren't that bad." Rise countered.

"Okay, I'm a big wuss." Jaune admitted. "There's no need to rub it in."

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Troubled_ (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

The group returned to the dorms to find Penny alone with Nora who was still sleeping soundly. Labrys gently laid Pyrrha down in her bed while Aigis did the same for Jaune. "Where's Helia?" Yang asked.

"She got a message on her scroll and left saying she had to take care of something." Penny explained. "She instructed me to remain here with Nora."

"When was this?" Blake asked with alarm.

"She departed several hours ago." Penny replied. "She did not say where she was going or what she was doing, but she did look very worried."

"She could be in trouble." Blake said. "We need to find her."

"My scroll can track hers." Ruby said. She tapped a few buttons on her scroll and a map of the area appeared. A small red dot blinked in the center. "She's outside near the Tower. Penny, wait here with these three while we see what's going on."

"I will friend." Penny said with a salute. Team RWBY, the Investigation Team, Aigis and Labrys rushed out to find Helia.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Troubled_ continues*

The group followed Ruby's scroll to where it said Helia was, but there was no one around. "Where could she be?" Weiss asked.

"This isn't good." Blake said. She held up Helia's scroll which she had found on the ground.

"Is there anything we can use on it to find her?" Naoto asked.

Blake tapped at Helia's scroll. "Oh no." Blake said. "Rosso Victrix escaped from prison."

"When?" Yang asked.

"The day after we got here." Blake replied.

"Why didn't she tell us?" Weiss asked. "We could have helped."

"There's more." Blake said. "She got a message a few hours ago from Rosso."

"How would Rosso be able to contact her?" Ruby asked.

"They were hunters in the same village." Naoto reminded her. "They would likely have been in contact regarding their work. In any case, what does it say?"

"Hello Helia, it's been some time." Blake read aloud. "I thought we could get together to talk about the good old days. I'm here at Beacon. Just meet me by the statue and we'll have a little chat."

"Damn it!" Yang shouted. "She should have waited for us. She walked right into his trap."

"Rise, can you locate Helia?" Yu asked.

Rise concentrated intensely. "She's at the top of the Tower." Rise reported.

"Well let's go get her." Ruby said.

"I mean the twisted version of it." Rise clarified. The Tower had already reverted to its normal appearance. "There are barriers blocking out way too. They only disappear when you save someone."

"We have to save her!" Blake shouted.

"Blake, there's nothing we can do right now." Yang said. "We just have to keep clearing out the shadow worlds to break down the barriers. I'm sure she'll be fine. Rosso probably wants to use her as bait to lure us to him. When the time comes, we'll be ready."


	12. Spirited Girl

Chapter 12

Glynda was in a difficult position. Ozpin wanted his new students and allies tested, and the only way to do that thoroughly was for them to engage in combat. Glynda was in charge of setting up practice matches, so the task fell to her. The problem was that these newcomers were an unknown quantity. Most of them were not even trained in what the people of Remnant would consider typical martial arts. Even the intensive set of classes they were enrolled in would not get them to where they needed to be overnight. Those that were trained in some sort of vaguely normal forms of combat had in general never faced off against a proper Hunter or Huntress. Normal students varied widely in skill, and unbalanced contests could be dangerous. Still, it would do no good to have the newcomers just fight each other. Glynda decided she just had to throw them in the ring and see what happened. Today was the day.

"For our next match, we'll see what a pair of our guests can do." Glynda announced to the class. "Sun Wukong and Labrys Ariadne, please prepare for combat." Neither needed to do anything special to prepare, so they both made their way to the combat floor of the amphitheater.

"You're Blake's friend right?" Sun asked. "We never really got a chance to talk, but you seemed nice enough."

"Yeah, you seem okay too." Labrys said, not really sure what else to say.

"That's one heck of an accent." Sun said. "Where are you from? You sound like some of the guys back in Vacuo."

"Uh, I'm from…" Labrys started.

"Alright then, you know the rules." Glynda said. "Fight until I tell you to stop, or one of you concedes."

"We'll talk later." Sun said. He slid his weapon out from under his shirt, and the four segments aligned, snapping into place to form a staff. Labrys swung her axe off her back and around in front of her. Sun thought she looked unusually nervous for a practice match.

"Begin." Glynda commanded.

*Recommended Music: _Spirited Girl_ (Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

Sun ran toward Labrys and leapt into the air, holding his staff high over his head. He slammed it down at Labrys with all his might, but she easily blocked the strike. She swung her axe at Sun but he back flipped out of the way. He charged again, planting his staff to vault at Labrys, kicking her with both legs. Though one hit her squarely in the face and the other made solid contact with her chest, she did not budge. Labrys stepped back with her right foot and swung her axe underhand with tremendous force. Sun blocked with his staff, but the force of the strike sent him flying across the room. He slammed back-first into the wall and fell to the ground. Sun staggered back to his feet. His whole body ached. He looked up at the scoreboard to see that his aura was almost half gone. He had blocked the swing, but the force of the impact with the wall had been immense. Another hit like that and the fight would be over. Just as he was regaining his composure, Labrys rushed at him.

Even Labrys was surprised by the result of her attack, but now was her chance to follow up and finish the fight. She charged across the circular area at Sun as some of the students in the crowd cheered. He was trying to hide it, but the pain was clear in his face. Images flashed into Labrys' mind of a room much like this one, a place that had witnessed much pain and suffering. Thoughts of Yakushima filled her mind, thoughts of the other units she had fought and killed, some of them her friends. It was all too much. She stopped abruptly and dropped to her knees, letting her axe fall to the floor beside her. She was not capable of shedding tears, but she could and did cry.

Sun was shocked. The unstoppable juggernaut he was fighting suddenly fell to her knees and started to sob. He approached carefully, staff at the ready. Could it be some sort of trick? Did someone this powerful need to use a trick? This was the opening he needed to win the fight, but he did not know what to do. The other students watched in stunned silence. Sun could feel their eyes upon him. He raised his staff, preparing to swing it at Labrys' head. He started his attack but stopped just short of hitting her. He just could not bring himself to strike this crying girl. He folded up his staff and slid it under the back of his shirt. "I forfeit!" He shouted. He knelt beside Labrys and put a hand on her shoulder, but he had no idea what to say.

Aigis leapt from the seats to the combat floor and joined Sun at Labrys' side. "I-I-I-I…" Labrys stammered as she continued to cry.

"What's wrong with her?" Sun asked. "Is she going to be okay? Was it something I did?"

"It is a long story." Aigis replied. "Do not worry, you have done nothing wrong." She gently pushed Sun aside and hugged Labrys. "It will be alright."

"What is going on?!" Glynda asked with a mix of anger and concern. "We're going to have a discussion with the headmaster right now." She motioned to the door with her riding crop. "Now!" Aigis helped the still sobbing Labrys to her feet and they left the amphitheater. Glynda turned to the rest of the students who were still in shock. "Class dismissed!" She followed Aigis and Labrys out the door.

* * *

Glynda described to Ozpin what had happened. He sipped his coffee, his face not betraying his thoughts. "I'm sorry if I got us in trouble." Labrys whispered to Aigis.

"Do not worry." Aigis assured her. "I am sure he will understand."

"How can we trust them to protect this place and the students if they can't even complete a practice match without turning into an emotional wreck?!" Glynda shouted at the conclusion of her explanation. "We need professionals, from Remnant. We need people we know and trust. Using these outsiders is too dangerous."

"I think we should at least hear what they have to say first." Ozpin advised. Glynda rolled her eyes. "Please, tell me what happened, or more importantly, why it happened."

Labrys opened her mouth as if to speak but could not find the words. It appeared as if she would start crying again. "Please, this is very painful for my sister." Aigis said. "Allow her to wait outside while I explain."

Ozpin nodded and gestured toward the door. Labrys exited under the angry glare of Glynda. "Alright then, what's this all about?" Ozpin asked.

"My sister and I are the only two remaining units of our kind, but there was once many of us." Aigis explained. "She was made as part of a series, the 5th generation. As part of the development of Labrys and her sister units, she was forced to fight other units to the death. The units were allowed to interact with each other outside of combat, and several developed what could be described as friendships. In effect, my sister was forced to kill her friends, including one unit she had formed a particularly strong attachment to. The theory behind the action was both to test each individual unit's combat effectiveness and to induce the emotional stress required to awaken a Persona. To make matters worse, the destroyed units' minds were effectively implanted in her so as not to waste the combat data those units had amassed. An unfortunate side effect of this was to force her to experience not only the emotion associated with taking the life of a friend, but that associated with being killed."

Ozpin shook his head. "That's barbaric." He said. "It pains me just to hear it. What do you think caused today's incident though? Surely there must have been some trigger. I assume she has performed normally in other combat situations."

"I cannot say for sure, but in my view the conditions she was placed under today were analogous to those she experienced in the past." Aigis replied. "The combat area had a similar layout, and she was in combat against someone she is acquainted with. It must have triggered memories."

Ozpin sipped his coffee. "I'm very sorry she had to go through that. You can go." He said after a brief pause. Aigis bowed respectfully before departing. He turned to Glynda. "Labrys should not participate in future practice matches. You should also consult the others to ensure there are not further complications."

"We're letting them stay?" Glynda asked with surprise. "We can't rely on them. There's too much at stake."

"You may be right." Ozpin said. He stood and walked to the window, gazing out at the campus. "Unfortunately, they're the only ones who can get to the bottom of this. We just have to hope they're up to the challenge and assist them in any way we can."

* * *

"I must speak with Ruby and Yu." Aigis said.

"They're at the practice range." Blake said without looking up from her book. "I think Weiss and Naoto are there as well."

"How did it go with Ozpin?" Yang asked.

"I explained the situation and he was very understanding." Aigis replied. "Unfortunately, Professor Goodwitch still appears to oppose cooperation with us. She does not trust us and is unwilling to rely on our assistance. Ozpin is harder to read."

"Oh well, there's no point worrying about it." Yang sighed. "Just as long as he didn't kick you out, we should be fine. He's already been much more helpful than I would have expected."

"I am concerned about Labrys." Aigis admitted. "It seems her memories are causing her more pain than I expected. I knew it troubled her, but I thought the experiences we had with the Investigation Team had helped her to accept and overcome the past. She accepted her shadow and I thought that would be the end of it. I guess it was wishful thinking."

"What happened to her?" Yang asked. "If you're not comfortable discussing it with us, that's alright, but I'd like to know."

"She was not the only unit of her series." Aigis explained. "As part of improving her combat effectiveness and inducing her Persona to awaken, she was forced to kill all her sister units. That included at least one unit she considered a close friend."

"That's far worse than I expected." Blake said, putting her book down. "Is there anything we can do? Would she want to talk to us about it?"

"I do not think that would be helpful." Aigis said. "I do not think she wants to discuss it, as that no doubt brings back very painful memories. She has not even talked to me about it. I only know what happened from records I had access to. She has never given a full account to me or anyone else as far as I know."

"It might hurt, but that could be exactly what she needs." Yang suggested. "I know it helped us overcome the pain related to facing our own shadows."

"I have to agree." Aigis said. "But I will not force her. I am confident that she will talk to us when she is ready."

* * *

"You're not that bad but your footwork really needs improvement." Weiss said to Naoto. "Your feet should be further apart and you need to move more." Weiss stood beside Naoto and demonstrated proper positioning.

Naoto did her best to imitate Weiss' form. "It's been so long since I've practiced." Naoto admitted. "It feels quite awkward." She held her sword at the ready as Weiss moved opposite her.

"Alright then, try to hit me." Weiss said. "Remember to keep moving." Naoto lunged and Weiss sidestepped the strike, knocking the blade aside before launching a thrust of her own. Naoto deflected it with her blade and their swords locked together. Weiss twisted Myrtenaster, pulling Naoto forward and off balance. Naoto tried to recover her footing but found Weiss' blade at her throat before she could recover. "Your feet still aren't keeping up. If I pull you, you need to step forward before you lose your balance. If your feet are out of place it doesn't matter what else you do."

"Are Ruby and Yu here?" Aigis asked as she walked in.

"They're at the firing range." Naoto told her. She turned back to Weiss. "It's hard enough to figure out what to do with my sword. I don't have time to think about my feet." Aigis headed for the firing range while Weiss continued to instruct Naoto.

* * *

Yu pulled the trigger and the recoil forced the rifle against his shoulder. The bullets struck all over the target as he struggled to control the gun. "Unless you're just trying to force an enemy into cover, don't spray like that." Ruby suggested. "If you're actually trying to hit anything you need to use short, controlled bursts. Look down the sight, exhale, and gently squeeze the trigger. The gun should almost surprise you when it fires. After four or five shots, release the trigger, breathe and repeat."

Yu took a deep breath and let it out. He aimed at the center of the target and squeezed the trigger. The recoil pushed the gun against his shoulder. Five shots peppered the target, the first hitting the bull's-eye, the rest making a line upward from there. "I don't think that was much better." Yu sighed. "The recoil's too strong."

"I think we need to adjust the stock." Ruby said, examining Yu's form. "It might be too short. Maybe a foregrip would help too."

"That won't be necessary." Aigis said. She had silently been watching for a few minutes. "You need to hold the gun closer to your body." Yu held up the rifle and Aigis pushed it into proper position before adjusting the angle of his right arm. "There, try again." Yu unleashed a short burst at the target, resulting in a tight grouping.

"Thanks Aigis." Yu said. "What brings you here?"

"I wanted to let the two of you know that things went well with Ozpin." Aigis replied. "He was very understanding even if Professor Goodwitch was not."

"How's Labrys?" Ruby asked with concern. "She was in really bad shape the last time I saw her."

"Her memories can still be very painful." Aigis said. "She has calmed down, but given the traumatic nature of her past, this problem may very well recur."

"Do you think the shadow will try to exploit that?" Yu asked.

"I am sure of it." Aigis answered. "We will need to be very careful."

"What about her past is so painful?" Ruby asked. Aigis gave a brief explanation of Labrys' past. Ruby looked to be on the verge of tears herself. "Is there anything I can do?"

"If Labrys decides she wants our help, we will help." Aigis said. "Until then, we just have to wait."

* * *

Ruby, Yu and Aigis arrived back in the real world after visiting the Velvet Room. "We found Ren!" Nora shouted. Even though it was well past her bedtime, her excitement was clear and she could not stand still. She did not appear tired in the slightest.

"We can use the Persona Uriel now that we've rescued Pyrrha." Ruby reported. "How is she doing by the way?"

"She's resting." Jaune replied. "She really wanted to join us, but I convinced her she should wait until she's 100%. I don't think she'll actually be able to sleep while we're out, but Labrys is keeping her company."

"I thought that after what happened today Labrys should take some time off as well." Aigis explained. "Perhaps she and Pyrrha can help each other overcome their respective difficulties. Where is Ren located?"

"Ren's in the library." Rise answered. "We'll explore the tower while you rescue him."

"Let's do it!" Nora yelled, jumping for joy with her arms over her head.

* * *

*Recommended Ambiance: All scenes in Ren's world should be experienced in perfect silence.*

"It's really quiet here." Nora observed. Ren's world had the appearance of a peaceful garden with shallow ponds and various flowers lining a winding path defined by bushes on either side. There seemed to be no sound at all – no animals, no wind rustling the plants – and even their footfalls sounded muffled.

"I can't say I'm surprised." Blake said. "I get the feeling Ren would love to spend time in a place like this. This would be a great place to study or read or just meditate."

"It all seems so peaceful, but I can feel a darkness about the place too." Yang warned.

"That's no surprise; this is a shadow world." Weiss said. "Even if it is a quiet and peaceful place, there are bound to be shadows including his here."

"I wonder what his shadow will be like." Ruby pondered. "Nora, do you have any idea?"

"No clue." Nora replied. "I don't know what would bother him enough. Whatever it is, I'm going to crush it!"

"So we don't have any unpleasant surprises like we had with Jaune, what kind of powers does you Persona have Nora?" Weiss asked. Jaune frowned at the insult but said nothing. Even he thought his Persona was disappointing, even if it did have useful skills. "Is it vulnerable or resistant to anything?"

"It has physical attacks and healing abilities." Nora answered. "I don't think it has any resistances or weaknesses. It's got an Almighty attack as well." She paused for a moment. "What's the problem with Jaune's Persona?"

"It doesn't have any attacks." Weiss replied. Nora could not stop herself from giggling.

Jaune had had enough. "It has some useful abilities!" He protested. "It can boost our strength, speed and defense, and it has abilities that reflect attacks."

"He did pretty well against Pyrrha's shadow." Ruby defended him. "With him supporting our attacks, we'll be really powerful."

"Yeah, it'll be great as long as he doesn't have to fight on his own again." Weiss mocked.


	13. A Quiet Soul

***Please comment if you have any opinion on my writing. I want to get better, but that's hard without feedback. What did you like? What do you want to see more of? What can I improve? What should I cut back on?***

* * *

Chapter 13

*Recommended Ambiance: Still silence*

The path opened up into a large open area. A stream silently flowed through the center, crossed by an ornate wooden footbridge. The fields on either side were a sea of colors with dozens of varieties of flowers growing everywhere. A simple dirt path split it down the middle, leading across and to the other side where the brush surrounding the area narrowed again to a tight exit. It was the perfect place for an ambush.

"There is a powerful shadow nearby." Aigis confirmed what everyone suspected. "It is moving rapidly."

"I can sense it too." Yang added. "Where is…up?" She looked skyward. A tiny black speck floated through the cloudless sky. "That's it." She pointed and the others strained their eyes to see.

"It looks like a bird." Nora said, making a binocular shape with her hands.

"Is it just me or is it getting bigger?" Jaune asked nervously.

"Scatter!" Ruby shouted. The group rushed into the field, spreading out in all directions as the gigantic flying shadow swooped down, its talons scything through the flowers as it attempted to grab Weiss. She dove aside and blasted the shadow with fire from Myrtenaster as it flew past and climbed back into the sky.

"It looks like a Giant Nevermore, but somehow even more threatening." Blake said.

"What is a Giant Nevermore?" Aigis asked. The group watched the shadow as it circled overhead, no doubt looking for an opening to attack.

"It's another type of Grimm." Ruby explained. "We fought one once, but it wasn't this big."

The shadow swept down, heading straight for Blake. She waited until the last moment and threw Gambol Shroud's blade, extended on its ribbon, at the shadow. It stuck in the shadow's body as Blake leapt high into the air. She landed on the shadow's back, anchored to the monster by her weapon. Blake unloaded her gun into the shadow as it screeched in pain and struggled to throw her off. Black globs dripped from the shadow's wounds as Blake continued to shoot it. Suddenly, the shadow turned upside down and flew at the ground. Blake dove off and tried to wrench Gambol Shroud free, but it was stuck. Unwilling to abandon her weapon, she was dragged through the field as the shadow scraped along the ground. She slammed into the bridge, which was much sturdier than it appeared, and used it to hold herself in place. Her blade ripped free of the creature as it soared back into the sky. Badly injured, Blake crawled under the bridge to get out of the shadow's sight.

The rest of the group fired their weapons at the shadow, but hitting a fast-moving target was difficult, and a flying one doubly so. It dove down, again heading for Weiss. The shadow opened its beak and unexpectedly fire shot from the creature's maw. Weiss ran but was overtaken by the flames as the shadow swept past. She raced through the burning field and dove into the stream to douse the flames. The steep banks prevented her from escaping as the shadow circled and attacked her again, leading with its razor-sharp talons. Nora charged and leapt at the shadow, hitting it in the side of the head with Magnhild just before it reached Weiss. The shadow slammed into the ground beside the stream, cutting a trench through the dirt. Weiss took the opportunity to join Blake under the bridge where they could be relatively safe. The shadow clumsily regained its footing before taking to the sky again.

"Aigis, before you ask, no, they don't normally breathe fire." Yang said. "Do you guys have any ideas?"

"If we can keep it on the ground, it'll be vulnerable." Jaune suggested. "One of us needs to lure it so we can take it down."

"Fire doesn't bother me." Yang said. She charged into the open and took a few ineffective shots at the shadow with Ember Celica. "Come on! Let's see what you've got!"

The shadow swept down, aiming for Yang in a shallow dive. It opened its beak and unleashed a blast of fire as it closed in. Yang stood amidst the flames as the shadow approached. She reared back and met the oncoming shadow with a powerful punch to its face, stopping it dead in its tracks. The shadow flapped its wings furiously in an attempt to stay in the air as Yang ran up to it and repeatedly punched it in the midsection. The shadow slashed at her with its talons but she kept up the assault. Nora came sailing through the air atop Magnhild and landed on the back of the shadow's neck. With a mighty swing of her hammer, she slammed the shadow down into the ground as Yang dove out of the way.

"Now!" Nora shouted. "Finish it off!" The shadow struggled to move but was beaten back to the ground with another hammer blow. Jaune jumped onto its back and slashed away with his sword while Aigis repeatedly speared the shadow. Yang punched it in the head, Ember Celica adding power to the attack, as Ruby arrived. Ruby hooked her scythe around the shadow's neck and fired, the recoil forcing the blade back and embedding it deeply in the monster. She fired again and then a third time, finally severing the shadow's head. It dissolved and disappeared.

A very unhappy-looking Blake climbed out from under the bridge. She was soaked. She reached back down and helped an equally drenched Weiss out of the stream. "I hate water." Blake said.

"Well you are a cat." Yang joked. Blake was not amused.

"Thanks." Weiss said to Blake. Not only for helping her up but for healing her. Her combat skirt was singed but somehow her hair had survived the fire intact.

"This field was so beautiful before." Ruby said, frowning. The flowers were gone, burned away. Only blackened husks remained and small fires still smoldered here and there.

"Well, that sucked." Jaune said. "I had my fill of Nevermores from the initiation."

"Come on guys, enough chatting!" Nora said. "We've got to save Ren!" She headed off down the path without waiting to see if the others followed. She seemed far too happy given the situation.

"At least she seems to be having a good time." Ruby said. "It must be nice to be so happy all the time. Maybe we're the crazy ones."

"We might be crazy, but she's totally nuts." Weiss said. For once everyone laughed.

* * *

Pyrrha sat at the window, staring out in silence. Labrys sat in a chair on the other side of the room. The silence was starting to bother her. "You should really try gettin' some sleep." Labrys suggested.

"I should be out there with them." Pyrrha said. "They might need my help."

"They'll be fine." Labrys assured her. "What you need to do now is rest so you'll be ready when they do need your help."

"You may be right." Pyrrha sighed. "You know, you don't have to wait here with me. You can go if you want; I'll be fine on my own."

"After what happened earlier today, Aigis thought I should take the night off." Labrys said.

"I heard you collapsed and started crying during a practice match." Pyrrha said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." Labrys replied. "It just brought up some painful memories, that's all."

"Talking about it might help." Pyrrha suggested.

"Aigis said the same thing." Labrys said. "I just don't think I'm ready." She paused for a moment. "Do you want to talk about anythin'?"

"You mean about my shadow?" Pyrrha asked. Labrys nodded. "It seems painful memories are something we have in common."

"Are you afraid of bein' alone?" Labrys asked.

*Recommended Music: _I'll Face Myself_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

"That's not quite it." Pyrrha answered. "It's a bit hard to explain. I'm famous all over Remnant as a great fighter. The problem is that makes people look at me differently. People see me as something special, something to be put on a pedestal and admired. I just want to be a normal girl with normal friends and normal relationships, but most people can't get past my celebrity. It makes it really hard."

"Where does Jaune fit in?" Labrys asked.

"Not shying away from the tough questions huh?" Pyrrha laughed. "He's the first person who ever saw me for me. I don't think he even realizes how famous I am. It's great. He just acts like himself around me, and I feel like I can be myself with him."

"That's great." Labrys said.

"The problem is I'd like to be more than just friends." Pyrrha admitted. "I'm not quite sure exactly what that means, but I really like him. He just doesn't see me that way though. He's always chasing after girls, Weiss mostly, but never me. I thought I found someone, that I didn't have to be so alone anymore, but I just don't know now. Maybe he's not going to be what I want him to be. Maybe I'm not going to find someone like that."

"I'm sure you'll find someone." Labrys encouraged her. "I'm a robot, and I found a sister and a whole bunch of friends. If I can do that, you definitely won't be alone."

"Maybe you're right." Pyrrha smiled. "I'm not giving up on Jaune either. I think he might be starting to get it. Whether that will change anything, I don't know, but I won't give up until I know for sure."

"I don't know much about that sort of relationship, but my sister once found a guy like that." Labrys said. "She didn't think she could ever have human emotions, let alone human relationships, but she did."

"What's he like?" Pyrrha asked.

"I never met him." Labrys replied. "Aigis doesn't talk about him much either. Apparently he sacrificed himself to save the world. She always gets so sad when she talks about him, I could never bring myself to ask more. Maybe she feels the same way about him that I do about my past." Labrys frowned.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you sad." Pyrrha apologized.

"It's alright." Labrys said. "Maybe talkin' about it would help my sister too."

* * *

Kanji walked over to a wounded shadow. He transformed one of his spiked knuckles into its pistol form and executed the downed enemy. "That's the last of 'em." He reported. "Let's get this show on the road. I want to get this over with and face my shadow already."

"There is a special shadow ahead, but why do you think it's yours?" Rise asked.

"Look, I may not be the sharpest, but I know a pattern when I see one." Kanji answered. "So far they've been showing up in the order we awakened our Personas. That means I'm next, then you, then Ted and then Naoto."

"I noticed the pattern, but do you think the shadows would really be that predictable?" Yosuke asked. "I mean, they always seem to throw us a curveball just when we think we've got things figured out."

"Perhaps the predictability of the pattern is part of their strategy." Naoto suggested. "If we know what's coming, our anticipation and worry could distract us."

"You're overthinking it." Kanji said. "They don't need a strategy. They're just looking for a weakness. They want to see if one of us will break. It doesn't matter if they do it in order or at random. The real test is facing your shadow. So far we've done a pretty damn good job. I'm not going to let us down by being the weak link and you guys better not either."

"That was…surprisingly inspiring." Yukiko admitted. "Have you ever considered being a motivational speaker?"

"Him, a motivational speaker?" Chie laughed hysterically. The others joined in.

"Are you making fun of me?!" Kanji shouted. "Stop laughing at me! I'll kick all your asses!"

"There's the Kanji we know and love." Teddie laughed.

"Can it bear." Kanji said, shaking his fist.

"Alright, let's get going before Kanji turns Teddie inside-out." Yosuke said.

* * *

*Silence!*

The path opened up into another large area. A narrow dirt trail cut through the center of a field overgrown with grass and wildflowers. Beside the trail was a small pond with various plants growing out of its shallow water. "There are shadows here." Yang warned. "There's a bunch of them, somewhere in the grass." The group carefully followed the path that traversed the area. Like every other place in this world, it was eerily silent. The grass waved as if blown by a gently breeze, but the silence and stillness of the air indicated that wind was not behind the movement.

"They are all around us." Aigis reported. The group formed a circle, facing outward to confront the incoming attack.

"I've got movement over here." Blake called.

"Here too." Ruby added.

"How many are there?" Jaune asked. "It's like they're everywhere."

A shadow leapt out of the grass, straight at Weiss. She ducked and it sailed over her head, slamming into Jaune's back. Jaune fell on his face with a yelp, dropping his sword and shield, the shadow landing atop him. It looked like a wolf, its fur black and impossible dark, its eyes glowing red. Jaune rolled over, knocking the shadow aside. It immediately jumped back on his chest, growling and biting at his throat. He grabbed it by the neck with one hand and searched for his sword with the other. The shadow shook free and bit his hand, drawing blood.

Nora rushed over and clobbered the shadow with a horizontal swing of Magnhild. The shadow tumbled through the air, disappearing back into the grass as it landed. Another darted out of cover and clamped its mouth around Nora's calf. She screamed and kicked it with her other leg, but it refused to let go. Jaune recovered his sword and stabbed the shadow. Thoroughly impaled, it released Nora and struggled for a few moments before it dissolved and disappeared.

Aigis advanced into the grass, her sensors allowing her some limited vision through the obstruction. She could see a shadow running around her and tried to spear it. Her weapon was too big and slow to hit the agile creature, so she tossed it aside. The shadow rushed her, jumped and bit her arm. It squealed and recoiled in pain after chomping on metal, and Aigis took the opportunity to riddle it with bullets. She looked around, but now the shadows appeared to be consciously avoiding her, presumably finding her too hard a target.

Ruby scythed through the grass, cutting away the shadows' cover in an effort to locate the elusive enemies. To her surprise, one jumped on her back, attempting to bite the back of her neck. She slammed down on her back, the shadow beneath her. It was stunned by the slam and Ruby swung Crescent Rose around to finish it off. Before she could, another sunk its teeth into her arm. As she struggled to fight it off, the other scurried away, back into the grass and out of sight. Ruby grabbed the offending shadow with her other arm and ripped it off, leaving a bloody gash behind. She tossed it high into the air before shooting it out of the sky with Crescent Rose. The high-caliber round entered the shadow's neck and blew its head off. The fragments fell back to the ground as they dissolved and disappeared.

Blake saw the grass rustle and fired several shots from Gambol Shroud at where she expected the shadow to be. It raced out of the grass and straight at her. It attempted to bite her leg, but she sidestepped it. The shadow slid to a stop, only to be met by Blake's boot as she stomped it into the ground. It struggled to free itself, but Blake sliced the trapped shadow in two. It dissolved and disappeared. Blake heard a low growl and turned around just in time to see another shadow leaping at her. She caught it by the head and blasted away at it with Gambol Shroud until it dissolved and disappeared. "They're not that strong." Blake said. "If we can see them, we can kill them easily."

"On it!" Yang shouted. She summoned her Persona and blasted the grass with fire. Weiss saw what Yang was doing and joined in with Myrtenaster. Before long, the entire field was engulfed in flames. It burned a little too well. A firestorm surrounded them, forcing the group to head for the pond. In the water they had some respite from the flames, but the heat and smoke still presented a danger. Ruby summoned her Persona Summer Rose and Aigis summoned Norn. Together, they used wind to push the flames and smoke back. The intense fire soon ran out of fuel and died away, smoldering in a few places.

With the plant life gone, the shadows were revealed. There were a great deal more than they had expected, at least a few dozen. "Light them up!" Ruby ordered. She took aim with Crescent Rose, blasting away at the shadows as they scrambled for somewhere to hide. Aigis opened up with her hand guns, peppering the shadows with bullets. Nora fired several grenades around the shadows. Those that were not quick enough were blown to pieces, masses of black being launched into the air at the site of each explosion. The rest were forced together into a tight cluster. Nora charged at them, forcing the others to stop shooting to avoid hitting her.

"Nora, what are you doing?!" Yang called after her.

Nora laughed maniacally as she leapt into the air. She slammed Magnhild down into the center of the group of shadows, sending several tumbling through the air and crushing those hit directly into a fine paste. The remaining shadows all now attacked her. She swung her hammer wildly, crushing shadows with every move. Their broken bodies piled up around her before dissolving and disappearing. Only a few shadows remained and they were terrified, backing away from Nora as she laughed again. The rest of the group mopped up the isolated enemies with their guns while Nora proudly admired their handiwork.

"Nora, you need to be more careful." Blake admonished. "If you're overaggressive like that, you're going to get hurt."

"So?" Nora replied. "I can always just heal myself with my Persona."

"There are limits to Persona healing." Aigis warned. "A Persona can heal cuts, bruises, some broken bones, and even organ damage, but not all injuries. Joint dislocations, major structural damage, and severe wounds are beyond a Persona's ability to fix. It will not bring you back from the dead." She frowned. "I have tried."

"I'll be more careful." Nora sighed. "It's just so fun to smash them!"

* * *

***Please comment if you have any opinion on my writing. I want to get better, but that's hard without feedback. What did you like? What do you want to see more of? What can I improve? What should I cut back on?***


	14. Silence

***I'll be away on vacation Thursday through Monday, so Friday's and Monday's parts might be late. I don't know what sort of internet situation I'll have. They should still be up on the appointed day, just later. If not, I'm very sorry.***

Chapter 14

"Alright, let's get this over with." Kanji grumbled as he climbed the stairs. He and the rest of the Investigation Team reached the top, arriving in a large dark area. "Come on out you little shit!" Kanji called, shaking his fist. "It's time for your beating!"

"Please don't yell." A voice said from the darkness. "The patients are trying to rest." The lights came on to reveal what looked like a movie set of a hospital. An older man sat on the edge of one of the beds. He strongly resembled Kanji.

"I should have known it would be you old man." Kanji said. "You were an ass even before you were a shadow."

"Kanji, is that any way to speak to your father?" The shadow said. "I thought you'd be happy to see me after all this time."

"Happy to see you?" Kanji laughed. "If you wanted that you shouldn't have brought me to a hospital. You know how much I hate them. I know you're a shadow anyway. There's no point keeping up the act."

"But it's so much fun!" The shadow said. "Besides, there are some important matters we need to discuss, and this is the perfect mouth for that discussion."

"Fine, get on with it." Kanji ordered. "I know how this goes. First, let me guess, I'm not being enough of a man."

"Admitting you have a problem is the first step." The shadow smiled. "You were just starting to really understand that knitting and all that girly shit isn't something a man should be wasting his time on. Then you met those idiots who told you it was okay and convinced you to just be yourself. Well, yourself sucks. You're a constant disappointment."

"I heard it enough from you when you were alive, and human." Kanji said. "Are we going to fight or what?"

"In time my boy." The shadow replied. "You can't even be a proper punk. You make yourself look intimidating and talk a good game, but you never back it up. You ran those bikers out of town but those cowards didn't even put up a fight. You just shake your fist and people run for their lives. I bet if someone stood up to you it would be you who ran."

"You know about all the shadows I've killed." Kanji growled. "They put up a fight and I ground them to dust."

"Of course, but you had help." The shadow said. "Without you gang of misfit losers, you'd be nothing. You were before you met them, just an insecure little child, all show and no go."

"You can lie to me all you want." Kanji countered. "I know what I'm capable of. I know I'm no coward. I can kick ass with or without backup."

"You sound quite sure of yourself." The shadow said. "Why don't you prove me wrong? Fight me, one-on-one, man-versus-man."

"I thought you'd never ask." Kanji cracked his knuckles.

"Now, it wouldn't be a fair fight if only you had a Persona, so I took the liberty of acquiring one for myself." The shadow said. "Tenkai!" The Persona had the appearance of a man with black stone for skin, wearing elaborate golden armor.

"Cheap tricks won't help you." Kanji warned. "Takeji Zaiten!"

* * *

*Recommended Ambiance: Silence*

The path opened up into another large area. The trail continued on, lined with flowers, until it reached a small shrine slightly raised above the rest of the field. In the shrine, surrounded by candles and flowers was Ren. He sat cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees. His eyes were closed and his face betrayed no emotion. The whole scene inspired a feeling of peace and calm. Nora ran to Ren. "Come on Ren, let's go." She said. Ren did not respond. She knelt down and grabbed his shoulder. "Wake up sleepy head." She tried to shake him awake but he was frozen in place, no more movable than a statue. "Ren, what's going on?"

"Please don't disturb me." Another Ren walked out of a cluster of trees and approached the shrine.

"That's a shadow." Yang warned.

"Labels are meaningless." The shadow said. It walked up to the shrine and stood beside Ren. "I wish, that is Ren wishes, to be left to quiet contemplation. He is ensconced in a world in which he has everything he wants. He has access to the collective knowledge of the universe and a quiet place to study it for all eternity. The path to inner peace and enlightenment is at his fingertips. He must only sacrifice his interaction with the world. Should he return his consciousness to this existence, all that would be lost."

"Ren would never abandon the world." Nora argued. "He would never abandon us."

"He already has." The shadow said. "His decision has been made. He cannot interact with this world, but he is aware of it. He has chosen to ignore your presence. Why wouldn't he? He has everything he could ever want, everything that anyone could ever want. If knowledge is power, he is almighty."

"What about human interaction?" Aigis asked. "He does not have that. Surely everyone longs for connection."

"Hence the sacrifice." The shadow explained. "The human world, his friends, his family, his connection to them must be abandoned to achieve this enlightenment. He has decided which is more important to him." The shadow walked out into the field and inspected the group. "You intend to return him to this world by force. This is something I cannot allow. I will kill if you do not depart."

"We're prepared to do the same." Blake declared. "Free him or we'll destroy you."

"Along with his happiness." The shadow sighed. "Very well, you will die by my hand." The shadow groaned as it collapsed into a pool of black liquid. It reformed into a giant version of Ren. The giant shadow wore a mask with no eyes and the depiction of a mouth sewn shut.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _A Pure-Hearted Beast_ (Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

Kanji's Persona stretched out its arm at Tenkai, pointing its sword directly at it. The sword charged with electricity and a bolt of lightning shot from it and into Tenkai. There was no reaction. "Oh come on now, you'll have to do better than that." The shadow taunted.

"Fuck you!" Kanji shouted. Takeji Zaiten raced at Tenkai. It swung its sword, striking the Tenkai on the shoulder. A few chips of stone flew off it but it was otherwise undamaged. It head-butted Kanji's Persona, causing it to stumble back, before bringing its hand across its body to slap it backhand across the face. Takeji Zaiten ran forward, shoulder-blocking Tenkai and knocking both to the ground. Kanji's Persona ended up on top and rained fists down upon Tenkai. Subtle cracks began to show in the stone skin of the shadow's Persona, but it threw Takeji Zaiten off and both scrambled back to their feet.

"That's more like it." The shadow said. "Still not nearly enough, but at least you're putting up a fight." Tenkai punched Takeji Zaiten in the face and Kanji's Persona staggered back. The shadow's followed up with an elbow to the side of the head before sweeping Takeji Zaiten's legs. Kanji's Persona crashed to the ground and Tenkai kicked it in the side while it was down. Takeji Zaiten grabbed the offending leg and dragged the shadow's Persona down, slamming it into the ground and producing more small cracks. Takeji Zaiten stood, raised its sword and brought it down hard, only for Tenkai to catch it. The shadow's Persona tugged the sword, pulling Kanji's Persona off balance. A kick to the gut flipped Takeji Zaiten over onto its back. Both stood again and faced off once more.

"We should help him!" Teddie shouted, starting to run forward.

Yu grabbed him by the arm and stopped his charge. "No, Kanji needs to do this on his own." Yu said. "He can handle it."

Takeji Zaiten charged and swung its blade at Tenkai's neck. The shadow's Persona ducked the attack and delivered a devastating uppercut to Takeji Zaiten. Kanji's Persona wobbled and Kanji felt the pain in his own jaw. Tenkai grabbed Takeji Zaiten by the legs and slammed it down onto its back. It dove on top and hit it with a flurry of punches from a dominant position. In desperation, Kanji's Persona lashed out with its sword, hitting Tenkai with a series of ineffective blows. One managed to strike its mask. The mask fell off, revealing a soft and vulnerable face. Unfortunately, there was nothing Takeji Zaiten could do, as the beating had it on the verge of defeat.

Kanji groaned in pain as he withdrew his Persona. He converted his weapons into their pistol form and took careful aim at Tenkai's face. "Alright, just like Naoto showed you." He said to himself. He steadied his arms and fired. The first shot hit Tenkai in the face as planned and it shrieked in agony. "Eat this!" Kanji shouted as he unleashed a series of shots, blasting away at Tenkai's weak spot. Now it was the shadow's turn to withdraw its Persona.

The shadow charged at Kanji as he swung his pistols around to meet the approaching threat. The shadow got there too quickly and grabbed both of Kanji's wrists. It twisted them, causing Kanji to drop his weapons as he grunted with pain. The shadow then punched him straight in the jaw with all its might. Kanji did not even flinch. He just stared the shadow in the eye, rage written on his face, reared back and knocked it down with a single powerful punch. The shadow fell on its back and groaned.

"You see, I'm a man." Kanji said, standing over the wounded shadow. "I'm more of a man than you ever were, knitting, girly shit and all." He stomped on the shadow's face again and again until it was crushed by the punishment. The shadow dissolved and disappeared.

"Holy shit, that was brutal." Yosuke said.

"A brutal end for a brutal son-of-a-bitch." Kanji said. "My father had my head all fucked up for so long. It felt really good to return the favor."

"I'm glad you got to experience some catharsis." Naoto said. "Hopefully it helps you put it all behind you."

"Ca-what-now?" Kanji had no idea what she was talking about.

"Now that you've got your head on straight, maybe work on the vocabulary." Rise laughed. Kanji swore under his breath. "Anyway, the path is blocked so let's head back."

* * *

*Recommended Music: Silen…Just kidding!: _Keep Talking_ (Pink Floyd, _Division Bell_)*

"Keep your distance, attack with Personas." Aigis suggested. She summoned Pallas Athena. It swept in and stabbed at the gigantic shadow with its spear. The shadow was clearly distressed, but swatted the Persona aside.

"Silence!" The shadow rumbled.

Pallas Athena disappeared. Aigis tried to summon it again, but could not. "I cannot summon my Persona." Aigis reported.

"I'll give it a shot." Yang said. "Turan!" Nothing happened. "Turan!" She tried and failed again.

"I think it's safe to assume it's somehow suppressing our Personas." Weiss said.

"That's alright; we'll just shoot at it." Ruby said. Crescent Rose folded into its gun form and she fired several shots at the massive shadow. It recoiled and turned aside to shield itself from the onslaught.

"Silence!" The shadow thundered again.

Ruby pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose. Click. She tried again. Click. "Now my gun doesn't work." She said with alarm.

Blake pointed Gambol Shroud at the shadow and pulled the trigger. Click. "My weapon isn't working either." Blake reported. "It's doing something to our weapons too."

"We'll just have to get in close then." Yang concluded. She charged straight at the shadow. She leapt high into the air, aiming to punch the shadow in the face. The forty-foot-tall shadow met her with a head-butt, slamming Yang to the ground. It attempted to step on her but she rolled out of the way. Scrambling to her feet, she punched the shadow repeatedly in the leg. It wobbled but soon knocked her away with a swift kick. Yang sailed across the area and slammed into the shrine. She bounced off the roof and landed at the base of the stairs in front of it.

"Are you okay?" Nora asked. She had not left Ren's side.

"I'll be fine." Yang said, dusting herself off. A trickle of blood flowed from her lip and she wiped it away with her forearm. "Wake Ren up, it might help."

"I'm trying." Nora said. Yang charged back into battle and Nora turned her attention back to Ren. "Come on Ren, your friends need you. Please wake up."

Ruby used her semblance to zip around in front of the shadow. The shadow fruitlessly swiped at her as she made hit-and-run attacks with her scythe. With the shadow distracted, Blake snuck around behind it. She jumped up and stabbed Gambol Shroud into its back. The shadow groaned and tried to grab her, but she was beyond its reach in the center of its back. She separated the two halves of the weapon, using one to anchor herself in place and the other to stab and slash the shadow. In desperation, the shadow fell flat on its back, Blake crushed beneath it. It stood again, leaving Blake unconscious on the ground. Yang rushed to Blake's aid, but she shadow hit her with a powerful kick. Past her breaking point, she tumbled across the ground before coming to a rest just in front of a bush.

The shadow approached Blake, raised its fist and brought it down hard. Weiss surrounded Blake with ice using her glyphs and the shadow slammed its hand down onto the jagged frozen shield. The shadow turned its attention to Weiss, rushing at her as she attempted to flee. It was too fast and grabbed her in one of its gigantic hands. It lifted her up before throwing her straight down. She slammed into the ground, ending up unconscious and embedded in the dirt. The shadow raised a foot to stomp her but Jaune arrived just in time and miraculously stopped the shadow's stomp with his shield. He managed to shove it aside, protecting Weiss. The shadow responded by kicking Jaune who flew across the field before landing near the shrine unconscious.

"Ren please!" Nora implored. "We need you. _I need you_. You have to wake up." She embraced him, tears streaming down her face. "Don't abandon me."

"I would never abandon you." Ren said. "What's going on?"

"Our friends are fighting a monster!" Nora said. She sniffled and wiped away her tears. "It's beating them up really bad. It said 'silence' and now we can't use our powers or guns."

Ren pushed Nora away and stood up. He walked down the steps from the shrine and out into the open. "Hey, leave them alone!" He shouted. "It's me you want right?" The shadow turned and faced him. It menacingly stomped toward him as Ren stood there calmly. "What do you say we make some noise?!" A wave of energy radiated out from Ren, knocking everything and everyone back. He turned to Nora. "Try your gun again." Nora stepped out of the shrine and aimed her grenade launcher at the stunned shadow. She fired several grenades at it, each exploding on impact. The shadow staggered backward and groaned in pain.

"Orpheus!" Aigis shouted. The Persona immediately appeared, ready to fight. "Ruby, fan the flames." She ordered. Ruby summoned her Persona Summer Rose, ready to assist. Orpheus blasted the shadow with fire. It flailed and struggled against the flames. Summer Rose joined in, adding wind to the fire to make the flames even more intense. They shadow was completely engulfed. Its thrashing slowed and it collapsed before dissolving and disappearing.

"I'll heal the others." Ruby volunteered. Before getting a response she went to work. There was much to be done.

"Ren, are you okay?" Nora asked, rushing to his side.

"I'm fine." Ren replied. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"I'm just so glad you're alright." Nora said as she hugged him tightly, too tightly for his liking.

"Let's get out of here." Ren said. Nora released him and he started to walk, but soon stumbled and fell to his knees. He held his head, a pained look on his face.

"Ren!?" Nora shouted.

Nora began to approach him, but he was suddenly engulfed in purple flames. A tarot card descended from the sky and shattered in front of him. The figure of an older man with a long white beard, dressed much like Ren and carrying a staff with a long curved blade at its end, appeared above him. "Guan Yu." He whispered the name of his Persona. "Don't worry Nora, I just need some rest." He said softly just before falling unconscious. Nora knelt beside him, not sure what to do.

"Come on Nora, we need to get going." Aigis said. "He will be fine." Nora nodded and stepped aside as Aigis picked up Ren.

* * *

"How'd you guys do?" Yosuke asked. The Investigation Team was waiting when the others exited Ren's world.

"We've done better." Blake answered.

"We got our butts kicked." Ruby said. "Luckily Ren helped just in time. How was it for you?"

"I faced my shadow and kicked the shit out of it." Kanji said.

* * *

Nora helpfully held the door open as Aigis carried Ren into their dorm room. She carefully laid him down on his bed. "He will be fine with rest." Aigis said.

"I'm so glad you saved him." Pyrrha said. "The whole team's back and safe."

"We've still got to rescue Helia though." Ruby reminded them. "To get to her we need to open the last two seals."

"Yes, and I fear that means my sister and I will be forced to face our shadows." Aigis said. "I am sure we can handle whatever the shadows have in store for us."

"Rise, Teddie and Naoto still haven't faced their shadows here either." Yu said. "It looks like we'll have to deal with that too."

"We'll worry about it tomorrow night." Yang yawned. "Right now we need to get some sleep."

"Yes, we've got a busy schedule of classes tomorrow too." Yukiko said. "It seems Ozpin has enrolled us in a particularly intensive program to get us up to speed."

"Yeah, it sucks." Yosuke said. "At least we get to learn some practical combat skills. That beats the stupid crap they teach us back home. There's no math class either, so that's a plus."

"It's all designed to make us better fighters, so I'm totally on board." Chie said. "Come on; let's get some rest so we're ready to train."


	15. The Island of Memories

Chapter 15

Returning to the dorms after classes, Aigis found only Team JNPR. Aigis waited for an appropriate break in their conversation. "Where is everyone?" She asked.

Pyrrha stood and walked over to the door while the others resumed chatting. "They all went into Vale." Pyrrha said. "The last few days have been pretty rough on all of us, and Yang thought it was a good idea to take time to have some fun."

"Why have you not joined them?" Aigis asked.

"Well, this is the first time we've all been together in almost a week." Pyrrha explained. "We thought some time to ourselves would be more appropriate. If you want to go the others told me where they would be."

"No, that is unnecessary." Aigis said. "Thank you though. I need to prepare for tonight's mission anyway." She started to leave but Pyrrha grabbed her shoulder.

"While you were out saving Ren I talked to Labrys." Pyrrha said. "We mostly talked about each other's issues, well, mostly mine. She did mention you though. My insecurities were laid out for all of you to see. Part of that was my desire for a normal relationship. I discussed it with Labrys she said you had a similar concern but found someone. She also said he had died and that you never explained anything beyond that to her."

"Hey Pyrrha, Nora's about to tell us about all the shadows she fought in her world." Jaune called. "You don't want to miss this."

"I'll be over in a moment." She replied before returning her focus to Aigis. "It helped me to talk about my problems, and I thought it might help you too."

"There is not much to talk about." Aigis said, her face expressionless. Though she tried to hide her feelings, her eyes betrayed her. Her deep sorrow was clear. "He was our leader, much like Jaune is for your team or Ruby for hers. He was a good friend. In the end, we could not win the final battle, so he sacrificed himself to save the world."

"There is definitely more to it than you're telling me, but I won't pry." Pyrrha said. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm here for you. I know the others are too."

"I should be going and you should get back to your friends." Aigis said. Pyrrha could sense that Aigis wanted to say more but found the memories too painful. "Thank you for your concern, but I will be fine."

"If you say so." Pyrrha sighed. "We'll see you tonight." Aigis left and Pyrrha returned to her team to hear Nora's riveting and extremely exaggerated tale.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Aria of the Soul_ (Pick a Persona Soundtrack)*

"With a fully formed bond of the Emperor Arcana, you have awakened the Persona Odin." Theodore said.

"Thanks for the info." Ruby said. "I think that should be it for now."

"Before you go, I offer a warning." Igor said. "In your near future I foresee a great reckoning for all three of you. Your reaction to this event may well determine the fate of this world. I do not know what will happen and I cannot advise any particular course of action, but I recommend proceeding with particular caution." Ruby did not know what to make of this warning, but it sent a chill down her spine. The others looked similarly concerned which made her even more worried.

* * *

The Investigation Team headed to the Tower, while the others, minus Nora and Ren, went in search of another shadow world to clear out. Ren needed to rest before joining them and Nora was not about to leave him, so the others would just have to do it without them. Labrys walked up to the glowing door of one of the classroom buildings. She placed her hand on it and closed her eyes. "This is mine." She said. "I can feel it."

"Are you ready to do this?" Aigis asked. "You must know what you are likely to face."

"I don't think I'll ever be ready, but we have to do it." Labrys replied. "We may as well do it now."

"We're all here for you." Pyrrha said.

"You saved us, now it's our chance to return the favor." Jaune added.

"I'm lucky to have friends like you guys." Labrys smiled.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Heartful Cry_ (Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

Upon entering Labrys' world, they group found themselves on a beach. A wooden dock stretched out over sparkling blue water, and beyond a thin strip of sand was a thick forest. "It's Yakushima." Aigis said. "This is where we were born and where I…" She trailed off, a mix of joyful reminiscence and great sadness in her voice.

"If this is where you were born, then this is…" Ruby started.

"Yes, this is where I killed my sisters." Labrys finished for her. "I knew it would be like this, but it doesn't make it any easier." While the others talked, Aigis had walked out onto the dock. She stared out at the ocean, a look of sorrow on her face.

"We should get moving." Blake said. "Standing here worrying isn't going to help."

"Aigis, are you alright?" Pyrrha called as the rest of the group headed for the forest.

"Yes, I am fine." Aigis replied. She hurriedly joined the group as the followed the winding path through the trees.

After walking for some time, the path wound its way to what appeared to be a fortress. A massive gate, the doors blown off the hinges, walls extending on both sides, stood before them. They walked through the opening and found themselves in an open field with a few isolated trees and rocks. A small stream ran down one of the sides. Beyond they could see a modern building with numerous satellite dishes and antennas on its roof.

"This is where they would let the units spend time outside." Labrys explained. "This is where we were allowed to socialize with each other."

"There are shadows here." Yang warned.

Labrys looked around. She spotted a particular rock and walked over to it. After hesitating for a moment, she sat down. "This spot…" She failed to finish the sentence.

*Recommended Music: _Danger Zone_ (Persona 4 Portable Soundtrack)*

Suddenly, a group of soldiers burst from the doors of the building and took up positions around the area. On closer inspection, they were obviously not human, just human-shaped black masses wearing and carrying military gear. "Labrys, take cover!" Blake shouted as the others ducked behind rocks and trees to get out of the line of fire. Labrys looked up, seemingly unaware of the shadows and somewhat confused. One of the shadows fired its gun and the bullets whizzed past Labrys' head. She seemed to snap out of whatever daze she was in and quickly slipped down behind the rock.

Aigis had taken cover behind a tree. She peeked out to take a shot, but the shadows were using cover just as effectively as they were. One popped its head up from behind a rock and Aigis fired a few rounds at it, but it quickly ducked again before she could hit it. A flurry of rose petals took Aigis by surprise as Ruby shot past, heading back the way the group had come and out of sight. The shadows unleashed a hail of fire but could not hit her.

Blake got down low and crept through the field, using the uneven terrain to stay out of the shadows' sight. She slowly approached a large rock, careful to make as little noise as possible, before she leapt over it and attacked the shadow hiding on the other side. She stabbed Gambol Shroud through the shadow's featureless face and the shadow dissolved and disappeared. She immediately came under fire from other shadows as she was now in the open. She dove to the side of the rock and slid behind it as her decoys absorbed their incoming fire. One ran out to flank her new position, but Weiss caught it in the open, hitting it with a blast of fire from Myrtenaster. The shadow beat at the flames as it was consumed before it dissolved and disappeared.

Now more of the shadow maneuvered toward Blake, her position being the most exposed. A few of the others stayed back, laying down covering fire to keep her teammates from assisting. Braving the oncoming fire, Pyrrha stepped out and shot down two of the maneuvering shadows as bullets consumed her aura and ricocheted off her armor. Weiss used her glyphs to create a wall of ice between Blake and the shadows, allowing her to fall back to a safer position. Now some of the shadows were exposed, allowing Pyrrha to shoot more as they scrambled for cover.

With few shadows remaining, Yang charged, her aura absorbing the incoming fire as she closed with her target. The shadow she was attacking slid behind a tree, but she punched right through it and blasted the shadow with Ember Celica. As the shadow stumbled back, Yang punched it in the face, a blast from Ember Celica tearing it apart. It dissolved and disappeared. Yang rushed the last shadow she could see. It raised its rifle and got off a short burst – absorbed by her aura – before she was upon it. She punched it in the stomach hard enough to lift it off the ground. It collapsed in a heap and Yang punched it repeatedly in the back until it dissolved and disappeared.

"That wasn't so bad." Yang said. She stood up and started to walk back to the others. Two shadows leapt out from behind a rock and unloaded on the unsuspecting Yang. Her aura absorbed most of their shots, but one bullet tore through her calf. She cried in pain and fell to the ground as the shadows reloaded. The shadows closed in, preparing to finish her off. Suddenly, a single loud shot rang out. The lead shadow's head exploded as a high caliber round found its mark. The other shadow stopped and looked around, only for a second shot to take its head off as well.

"Yang!" Ruby cried, dropping down from the wall that surrounded the area and rushing toward her injured sister. Ruby slid to a stop at Yang's side just as she was sitting up.

"Don't worry, I'll be okay." Yang said. "It didn't hit anything important." That may have been the case, but her calf was bloody and mangled. Blake was the strongest healer, so she stepped up to attend to Yang. She summoned her Persona Diana and used its healing ability on Yang. It had little effect. Some of the torn flesh was repaired, but she still bled from a sizable and ragged wound. "Just bandage it." Yang said. "It'll be fine until we get back. Then I'll go to the campus infirmary and get it stitched up." Yang pulled a bandage out of one of her pockets and handed it to Blake. She wrapped it tightly around Yang's calf.

"That should do for now." Blake said. "You should still take it easy."

Yang grunted in pain as she stood but refused to show any weakness, immediately putting all her weight on the injured leg as if to test it out. She winced slightly. "I'll be fine." She reported.

* * *

"So it's my shadow next." Rise said. "We're pretty close to it too."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you can handle whatever it throws at you." Yu said.

"I'm not quite sure how I'm going to fight it though." Rise admitted. "My Persona isn't exactly built for combat. Its offensive capabilities are really limited."

"You've got the hammer you made with Nora." Yosuke suggested. "Just whack it."

"I'm not exactly built for combat either." Rise said.

"We'll be there to help." Teddie said.

"What if this is something I want to do on my own?" Rise asked. "What if I have to?"

"Quit complaining and just kick its ass." Kanji said. "It's not about what your Persona can do or how good a fighter you are. If you can win the mind games you can beat it."

"I hope you're right." Rise sighed.

* * *

Nora was doing a poor job of keeping Ren company. She had fallen asleep almost immediately. Ren did not mind much though. He had plenty to think about after what had happened. He did not remember much, but he had a vague recollection of having access to infinite knowledge. It was a tempting prospect, but one he had rejected in favor of returning to his friends. The choice had not been an easy one, and he was still not sure he was happy with it.

He cared about his friends and would have suffered greatly if he was without them. That said, being perfectly at peace and knowing everything was hard to say no to. Still, whenever he thought about it, he felt guilty. He had come so close to letting his friends down in favor of his own selfish pursuit. He pulled a blanket over Nora and brushed the hair out of her face. She had convinced him to return. He thought about everything they had been through together, the good times and bad. She was annoying and unpredictable, and always causing trouble he had to deal with, but he had to admit it was fun. He really enjoyed spending time with her.

He realized it was not even a question really, he had made the right choice.

* * *

Labrys led the group into one of the buildings. "My shadow is this way, I can sense it." She said. After walking through sterile white halls, they arrived in a large laboratory. The room was filled with all sorts of bizarre looking equipment, but the group's main concern was the occupants. Several figured milled about, moving from one piece of equipment to another as if they were carrying out their work. They were clearly shadows, just floating lab coats and safety goggles around invisible bodies.

*Recommended Music: _Light the Fire Up in the Night -Mayonaka- _(Persona Q Soundtrack)*

One of the shadows eventually noticed the group. It made a high-pitched screech that alerted the others and seemingly from nowhere they produced batons that arced with electricity. They marched forward, heading straight at the group. Aigis immediately opened fire, but her bullets struck an unseen barrier before reaching their targets. Shots from Blake, Pyrrha and Ruby also failed to reach the shadows as they moved ever closer. Without immediate action, the group would be cornered.

Ruby summoned her Persona Summer Rose and blasted the shadows with wind. They were pushed back slightly, giving the group a chance to spread out around the perimeter of the room. Yang made the next move, summoning her Persona. She would not admit it, but her leg was in too much pain for her to make a characteristic charge at their foes. Her Persona launched a fireball at the approaching shadows but had no effect. They continued to advance even as they burned. Weiss used her glyphs to trap the shadows' legs in ice, but they quickly broke free. Pyrrha summoned her Persona Thetis and hit one of the shadows with a bolt of lightning, but it did no damage.

One of the shadows got within striking distance of Labrys and lunged forward with its electric baton. Labrys sidestepped the attack and brought her axe crashing down on the shadow's back, splitting it in two. It dissolved and disappeared. Another shadow swung its baton at Jaune. He blocked the strike with his shield, but electricity coursed through it and he was soon left writing on the floor. Pyrrha stepped in, impaling the shadow with Milo. It struggled and attempted to swing its baton at her, but she used her semblance to keep it away. She twisted the blade and finally the shadow dissolved and disappeared.

Aigis stepped up to a shadow and ran her spear through it. Unfazed, the shadow slid down the weapon toward her and smashed its baton into the side of her head. She convulsed briefly before falling to the ground unconscious. The shadow raised its weapon to hit her again, but Ruby arrived in time to sever the shadow's arm, the baton falling harmlessly to the ground. She then swung Crescent Rose around again and scythed the shadow in half. It dissolved and disappeared. Two shadows attacked Yang simultaneously. She jumped between them and as they attacked her, she dove out of the way, causing the shadows to strike each other. While they were stunned, Yang unleashed a flurry of punches on one while Blake slashed at the other. Torn to pieces by the onslaught, they dissolved and disappeared. The last shadow attacked Weiss, lunging directly at her. She sidestepped the attack and kicked the shadow to the ground. Using her glyphs she froze it in place before pinning it to the ground with Myrtenaster. It still struggled to free itself from the ice and the blade until Weiss stomped its face repeatedly. It dissolved and disappeared.

Blake healed Aigis, getting her back on her feet. "I have not sustained significant damage." Aigis reported. The pained look on her face implied the opposite.

"Maybe you and Yang should head back." Pyrrha suggested. "It's risky to fight injured."

"I'm fine, see." Yang said as she kicked her injured calf with her other leg. She could not help but wince. "Nothing to worry about."

"I will remain with my sister." Aigis said. "Her wellbeing is more important to me than my own." Labrys felt guilty upon hearing that. Now she felt as if she was putting Aigis in danger. Still, she knew it was pointless to argue.

"If you two are sure." Ruby said. They nodded their confirmation. "Alright, Labrys, lead the way." Labrys closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment before heading down one of the corridors that branched off the laboratory. Even if she could not quite define the feeling, she could sense where her shadow was waiting. As she walked the familiar corridors, her feeling of dread increased with the realization of where she was headed.


	16. The Monster Within

Chapter 16

"Well, this is it." Rise sighed as she climbed the stairs.

"You'll be fine." Yu said. "We're all right here with you."

The Investigation Team emerged into a large, dark area, identical to the ones in which the others had faced their shadows. "Alright, I know you're here and I know how this goes." Rise said. "Just turn on the lights and get it over with."

"So demanding, what a diva!" A familiar female voice shouted from the darkness.

"Really?" Rise said, exasperated. "It's you, really?"

The lights came on, revealing the idol Kanami Mashita on a stage in the center of the area. "Well who else would it be?" The shadow asked. "I'm everything you're not. I'm innocent, genuine, talented, and people actually like me."

"You don't have to talk like you're her." Rise said. "I know you're just a shadow."

"You're such a killjoy, maybe that's why you're not as popular." The shadow said. "Of course it could be that you're a talentless, artificial, attention whore. I'm Rise, I'm quitting showbiz, now I'm back, love me!" The shadow mocked. "You put on so many facades I bet you don't know who you really are anymore."

"I'm an actress." Rise said. "That's my job. I may have had my doubts but being an idol is what I want to do. It can be hard, but it's fun and rewarding."

"Good luck beating Kanamin." The shadow sneered. "She's got the market cornered and your little comeback is doomed to fail. Risette is old news, a remnant of the past. The future belongs to me! Kanamin, the youthful image of innocence and virtue, will easily overcome the old slutty Risette. Maybe you should go into pornography; I hear there's quite a market for someone like you. Fallen stars are all the rage you know."

"Oh that is it!" Rise screamed, her fists clenched and fire in her eyes. "I'm going to end you!" She brandished her hammer and rushed up onto the stage. The rest of the Investigation Team ran after her but were halted by an invisible wall that prevented them from reaching the stage.

"Performers only." The shadow taunted as the group tried to find a way past the barrier. "Now, we can finally get this show started!" Rise slammed her hammer down, just missing the shadow, the impact splintering the wooden floor. "If you had some talent you might have hit me." The shadow laughed. "Now, let's spice things up. You wouldn't want to disappoint our adoring fans." The shadow jumped back and concentrated. "Hayagriva!" The shadow summoned a Persona. It had the appearance of a red-skinned man, engulfed in flames and wielding a long curved sword. "Your Persona won't be able to do a thing!"

"We'll see about." Rise said with determination. "Kouzeon!"

* * *

Labrys led the group on, even after realizing where they were headed. She stopped before a doorway and sighed heavily. "This is it." Labrys said. "This is the chamber where I killed my sisters." Through the doors the group could see a large cylindrical room.

"You do not have to enter." Aigis said. "We can do this if you wish to remain here."

"No, that wouldn't be fair to you." Labrys said. "It's my shadow and I have to face it." She quickly entered the chamber as if she were afraid that if she waited she would change her mind. Before the others could follow, the door slammed shut and locked behind her. Labrys spun around and rushed back to the door, banging on it with all her strength. A viewing window opened beside it, giving the rest of the group a view of the chamber's interior. "I can't break through." Labrys said as she hit the glass with her axe.

"Only combatants may enter the chamber." A familiar voice said from behind Labrys. "The doors will not open until one is victorious."

"024." Labrys said. "Why did it have to be you?" The shadow approached her. It looked very similar to Labrys but had a black torso.

"Why wouldn't it be me?" The shadow asked. It grounded the point of its massive sword and leaned on it. "We were the best of friends. Then you killed me."

"This is very bad." Aigis said to the others. "It is far worse than I anticipated."

"Being killed by my friend was so painful." The shadow said. Labrys turned to face it but would not meet its gaze. "I'm not just talking about the physical act of being killed. That hurt, but it was nothing extraordinary. What really hurt was the betrayal. That pain was excruciating. If you really cared, you would have let me win, let yourself be destroyed in my place."

"Don't you think I know that?" Labrys said. "Every day all I can think about is what I did."

"Every day?" The shadow asked. "I am unfamiliar with the concept, having lived for so few days before you killed me. You know what I felt when you killed me? It wasn't anger. It wasn't fear. I was so sad, so disappointed. I was betrayed by my friend. I would never get to know the outside world. I would never get to pet Snowy again. I would never have the chance to meet our mother. You took all that from me, and then you failed your mission. You couldn't even be an anti-shadow weapon. It was all a waste. I died for nothing because you were too selfish to sacrifice yourself."

"I know!" Labrys cried. "I should have let you kill me. I've never forgiven myself. You should have lived, not me."

"I can fix that you know." The shadow smiled. "I know you can't bring yourself to kill me again, but I have no problem destroying you. Revenge will be sweet."

"You're right, I couldn't kill you again." Labrys said. "But I know someone who would without a second thought."

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Twinkle*Star_ (Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

Rise and her shadow faced each other on the stage, their Personas hovering above them. Hayagriva charged and slashed at Kouzeon. Kouzeon jumped back out of range while Rise converted her weapon into its directed-energy form and fired on the shadow's Persona. The laser-like beam hit Hayagriva and it recoiled in pain. Soon, however, the weapon overheated and forced Rise to stop firing. Kouzeon took over, firing small projectiles at the shadow's Persona. They hit the target but had no effect.

"Your Persona is weak and your weapon won't cut it." The shadow said. Hayagriva stretched out its empty arm and fired a blast of fire at Rise. Kouzeon analyzed the incoming attack and just before it arrived, a semi-transparent red shield appeared in front of Rise. The flames slammed into the shield and curved past her. Hayagriva attacked Kouzeon in retaliation, but the Persona shielded itself. Her weapon cooled, Rise fired her laser at the shadow's Persona again. It retreated, blocking the beam with its sword as best it could until the weapon overheated again.

Hayagriva rushed at Rise and swung its sword down at her. Kouzeon swept in and took the blow for her, though she felt the pain. A ball of light coalesced at the end of the telescope that formed Kouzeon's head. It fired straight at Hayagriva, hitting it in the chest and knocking it back. The shadow's Persona growled angrily and rushed at Kouzeon, swinging its sword wildly and blasting fire at it. The fire was ineffective and Kouzeon dodged the sword with lightning-fast movements. Kouzeon emitted a shockwave that pushed Hayagriva back before generating another ball of glowing energy. It fired the ball, but Hayagriva deflected it with its sword, causing it to fly harmlessly past.

Rise fired her laser at Hayagriva, but it used its sword to reflect the beam back at Kouzeon. Kouzeon dodged out of the way and Hayagriva took the opportunity to strike, shoulder blocking Rise's Persona and knocking it to the ground. Hayagriva turned back to Rise and raised its sword to strike her. She changed her weapon to its hammer form in anticipation of the strike but had little hope of resisting it. Kouzeon reached out a hand and Rise was engulfed in light. Hayagriva slashed its sword down at Rise and she lifted her hammer to meet it. The weapon collided and both were stopped in their tracks. Rise could feel the extra strength provided by her Persona and put it to good use, shoving Hayagriva's blade to the side. With super-human strength she leapt into the air and slammed her hammer into Hayagriva's face. The shadow's Persona stumbled backward but quickly recovered.

Even with Rise doing the attacking, it was clear that Kouzeon was the real threat. Hayagriva bypassed Rise and plunged its blade into the still downed Kouzeon. Rise doubled over in pain and withdrew her Persona before she was knocked out. Hayagriva stomped over to her with confidence. Suddenly, Rise lunged forward and smashed her hammer into Hayagriva's knee, using what remained of the strength boost provided by her Persona. Hayagriva toppled to the ground and Rise jumped onto its chest. She repeatedly slammed her hammer down onto its face until it faded to static and disappeared.

The shadow itself fell to its knees in pain. Rise carefully approached it, expecting a surprise attack, but it was well and truly defeated. "You'll never be the top idol." The shadow sneered. "You'll never match Kanamin."

"You just don't get it do you?" Rise said. "I don't care if I'm the most popular or even the most talented. Being an idol is something I enjoy. And besides, the world is big enough for the two of us. Not you of course, you're just a shadow." Rise lined up her swing and smashed her hammer into the side of the shadow's head. The shadow's head exploded in a shower of black muck as its body crumpled to the floor, dissolved and disappeared.

The Investigation Team clapped and cheered. "Encore!" Yosuke yelled enthusiastically.

"Sorry folks, that's the show for tonight." Rise said with a smile. "Like I said, being an idol is fun, but its hard work. Fighting shadows is pretty similar, but less fun." She seemed cheerful enough.

"Let's head back and see how the others did." Yukiko suggested.

* * *

Labrys fell to her knees and went limp. "You're making this a lot easier than I expected." The shadow laughed. It approached, dragging its gigantic sword along the ground, making an ear-splitting screech.

"Who are you?" Labrys asked without moving. Something about her voice was different. It was almost menacing.

The shadow stopped approaching with a confused look on its face. "I'm Unit #024." The shadow replied.

"Not who you appear to be, who are you?" Labrys pressed.

"I'm your shadow obviously." The shadow laughed.

"Who's shadow?" Labrys asked.

"What is this, twenty questions?" The shadow said with annoyance. "I'm Labrys' shadow."

"That's impossible." Labrys said.

"Now why is that?" The shadow asked.

*Recommended Music: _Shadows of the Labyrinth_ (Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

"_Because I'm her shadow!_" Labrys said. She sprung to her feet, her eyes wild and glowing yellow. "How dare you impersonate me? I'll kill you!"

"Oh no." Aigis said. "This cannot be happening."

"What's going on?" Ruby asked. Inside the chamber, the two combatants circled each other but did not yet attack. Each was taking the measure of the other.

"Labrys' shadow was not destroyed or directly converted into a Persona." Aigis explained. "It entered her programming and is capable of overriding her consciousness. I think Labrys intentionally allowed it to do so, but there is no guarantee it will return control after the fight."

"I'm stronger than I was when you killed me." The shadow said. "It was a close fight then and I'll kill you now, whoever's running the show."

"I'm stronger too." Labrys hissed. "Killing you will be easy. Killing you will be fun!" Labrys charged at the shadow, swinging her axe with the aid of its rocket boosters. The shadow blocked with its sword and the weapons clashed in a shower of sparks, pushing both combatants back. Labrys charged again and attempted to cleave the shadow vertically. The shadow side-stepped the attack and Labrys slid past. The shadow kicked her in the back and Labrys stumbled forward. She turned around, a look of rage on her face.

"You have no finesse." The shadow said. "You're all brute force."

"Brute force is good." Labrys said. "Asterius!" A Persona in the image of a Minotaur engulfed in flames appeared. Fire blasted from its nostrils and engulfed the shadow. When the flames died away, the shadow stood there unhurt. It charged, swinging its sword at the Persona. Asterius blocked with one of the chains hanging from its arms, but the shadow grabbed the chain. With a powerful tug, it dragged Asterius to the ground. The shadow plunged its sword into the vulnerable Persona's back. Asterius roared with pain and began to fade into static.

Labrys withdrew her Persona and charged the shadow. She swung her axe in an uppercut motion, and though the shadow blocked the strike, it was thrown high into the air by the force of the swing. Labrys then threw her axe, her hand still attached on the end of a long chain, and hooked the tumbling shadow. She rapidly retracted her hand and axe, slamming the shadow into the ground with a thunderous crash. The shadow immediately jumped back to its feet. "You'll have to do better than that." The shadow said.

"I'm happy to oblige!" Labrys said. She charged straight at the shadow. It tried to leap out of the way but Labrys was too fast and successfully tackled the shadow. Landing atop it, she rained down powerful punches to the shadow's face as she laughed maniacally. The shadow suddenly grabbed Labrys' leg and flipped her aside. It swung its sword around and it struck Labrys in the back, sending her tumbling to the ground. The shadow rushed to Labrys, jumped into the air, and brought its sword crashing down. Labrys rolled out of the way at the last moment, the sword striking the ground with a loud clang. She sprung to her feet, swung her axe around, and decapitated the kneeling shadow.

The shadow's head rolled across the ground as its body remained frozen in its kneeling position. Labrys stood over it and cleaved it in half with her axe. She shot her hand out on its chain to grab the head, retracting it to bring it to her. She stared into the shadow's lifeless eyes for a moment before crushing the head in her hand. The shadow dissolved and disappeared, and the door to the chamber unlocked and slid open.

"Let me go first." Aigis said to the others. She slowly approached Labrys, never taking her eyes off her shadow-possessed sister. "Put Labrys back in control." Aigis demanded, pointing her spear at Labrys' face.

"Or what?" Labrys asked. "You'll kill me? You can't do that because you'll kill her too."

"Please, release my sister." Aigis implored. "You have had your fun, now it is time to go."

"You're really clingy." Labrys said. "I wonder if you were like this with _him_." Aigis frowned. "Oh lighten up. I'm just screwing around. It's so fun to mess with you. I'll give you Labrys back; the world's a drag anyway." Labrys suddenly collapsed in a heap. The light briefly faded from her eyes before they took on their familiar red glow.

Aigis knelt at her side. "Labrys, are you alright?" She asked frantically.

"I'm okay." Labrys whispered. "I've suffered only minimal structural damage, but my power is low. I need to rest."

"I know you are physically intact." Aigis said. "I am more concerned with your mind. Facing this shadow, particularly given the form it took, combined with unleashing your shadow must have been painful."

"I just want to go back to the dorms." Labrys said. "Please. We can talk more there."

"Very well, I will carry you." Aigis said, scooping Labrys up. She turned to the others. "We should be going now."

* * *

Back at the dorms, Team RWBY, Team JNPR, the Investigation Team, Aigis and Labrys gathered in one room. "I think I want to talk about my past." Labrys said. "I'm not sure what to say."

"We know it's hard." Yu said. "Take your time."

"When I was first activated, I was tested by fighting my sister units." Labrys started. "The fights were to the death. At first it didn't bother me. I'm a machine and I didn't really have emotions at the time. Eventually, I formed a friendship with another unit, 024. She had fully developed emotions and mine were only beginning to emerge. Mostly she talked and I listened. She had to fight too. She was probably the only unit anywhere near as powerful as I am, so she had to kill many of our sisters as well. It did bother her. She knew she had feelings and desires, and it hurt her to snuff them out in the others. She was also afraid. She was afraid that she would be killed. I started to feel scared too, but killing the other units still didn't bother me that much. I had developed a desire to live, but my emotions were incomplete. I couldn't understand that the units I killed might have felt fear and pain. I was a monster."

"You weren't a monster." Ruby said. "You were more like a child. You broke things because you didn't understand, not because you were evil. Besides, you didn't have a choice."

"Maybe." Labrys sighed. "When I destroyed other units, their minds were uploaded into my own. I started to feel what they felt and I could finally understand what I was doing. By then, 024 and I were the only ones left. I felt some guilt, but not enough. The scientists told me the combat tests were over and I was so happy. I could stop killing, but more importantly to me at the time, I was safe. I wouldn't be killed. It was a tremendous relief. It was so selfish. Then they forced me into the testing chamber again and made me kill 024. She fought well but I killed her. I killed my only friend; someone I knew had full emotions, hopes and dreams. Before I may not have been a monster, but I was then. I knew what I was doing. I should have let her kill me."

"You're not a monster." Blake said. "You're just a girl who was forced to do terrible things against her will. You did what you had to in order to survive, and there's nothing wrong with that. If there was really another way, I'm sure you would have found it. You have to accept that it wasn't your fault. The scientists were the monsters. They knew what they were doing too, and they did it willingly. You have to stop blaming yourself."

"Besides, you've been a great friend to us." Yukiko said. "You're so nice and caring. That's not how a monster would act."

"Thanks so much." Labrys said, crying tearlessly. "I don't know what I'd do without you all."


	17. A Perfect World

Chapter 17

"Aigis, aren't you worried about what your world will be like?" Labrys asked. A moment before, everyone had been eating their lunch, maybe engaging in casual conversation. Now they all stopped. They had wanted to ask, but did not have the courage. They were afraid of upsetting Aigis unnecessarily and afraid of her answer. "You just seem so calm about it." Labrys noticed the sudden silence and felt the need to explain herself. "I'm sorry if the question bothers you, I just…"

"There is no need to apologize." Aigis said. "I wondered the same about you, even if your feelings were more obvious." She paused to think for a moment. "I have seen what you all have had to face. It was horrific and I am sure none of you will ever be the same; changed for the better I am sure. I look forward to the opportunity to face my inner demons. I know I will overcome them and be a better person for it."

"No offense, but you're so full of shit your eyes are turning brown." Kanji said. The stunned silence returned as all eyes turned to him. "Some people are good at hiding their emotions, but you aren't one of them. You've been moping around for days now. Something's obviously bothering you, and I'd bet it has to do with what you expect to face." He finally noticed the looks of shock on the others' faces. "Don't give me that look, you were all thinking it."

"He has a point." Weiss said. "Now, I haven't known you for that long, but I can tell that you haven't been the same for the last few days, and it's only getting worse."

Aigis never expected them to call her bluff. "As bad as it may be, worrying about it will not help." Aigis said. "Discussing it will not help either."

"Are you sure?" Pyrrha asked. "If you get it out in the open, it may lessen the impact. I'm sure Labrys felt better after she discussed her past with us." Labrys nodded in agreement. "From a tactical standpoint, knowing what we are likely to face could help us prepare as well."

"Prepare for more shadows." Aigis said. She was clearly annoyed. "There is nothing to be gained from a discussion of my past. You already know all you need to. I will say no more." With that the conversation died.

* * *

"This is it." Aigis said matter-of-factly. She pointed to a glowing door in front of one of the dorms. "I wish to get this over with as soon as possible." Team RWBY, Team JNPR and Labrys followed her in.

*Recommended Music: _Iwatodai Dormitory_ (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

They emerged into what appeared to be a somewhat fancy hotel lobby. To their left was what appeared to be a reception desk and on the right was a longue with a few couches and chairs, a small table and an old television. Beyond was what looked like a bar and dining area. Straight ahead was a large curved staircase.

"What is this place?" Ruby asked.

"It is the dormitory I lived in during the shadow incident several years ago." Aigis replied. "I was expecting worse."

"Do you have any idea where we should go in here?" Yang asked.

"I believe I know exactly where we are headed." Aigis answered.

* * *

"Do you guys think Aigis will be alright?" Yukiko asked after the Investigation Team had explored the tower for some time. "She seemed very troubled."

"She'll be fine." Chie said. "She's got more experience dealing with shadows than the rest of us combined."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Kanji said. "We all thought we were pretty tough, but when we first faced our shadows we got wrecked. Judging by the way she's been acting, the part of her past she's hiding is pretty damn bad."

"We shouldn't waste time worrying about things we can't control." Naoto suggested. "I'm sure that even if Aigis has difficulty, the others will be able to help her through. We should be focused on what we'll be facing. If the pattern holds up it'll be Teddie's shadow next."

"Yeah, I can't imagine what kind of bizarre monstrosity that bear's subconscious will produce." Yosuke said. "So Teddie, what do you think it'll be."

"I have no idea." Teddie said.

"Well, what's bothering you?" Yosuke asked. "What might your shadow say to you? Who might it be?"

"Nothing's bothering me really." Teddie replied. "Once I remembered that I was a shadow and accepted that, there really hasn't been anything serious on my mind."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Rise said. "It isn't far off though, so we'll find out soon."

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Iwatodai Dormitory_ (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

Aigis led the group up the stairs to the second floor. There was another, smaller longue area with a few vending machines, and a hallway that extended off to the right. Aigis headed down the hallway; carefully examining all the doors they passed. She finally came to a stop in front of one. It was the last door on the right. "This is the only door that is real." Aigis said. "All the other doors lead nowhere."

"Where does it lead?" Jaune asked.

"This door in particular, I have no idea." Aigis replied. "In the real world it led somewhere special. I knew it would be this one."

"Aigis, are you sure you're going to be alright?" Pyrrha asked, putting an arm on her shoulder. Without answering, Aigis reached out and opened the door.

* * *

"This is it; the shadow is just at the top of the stairs." Rise said. "Something doesn't seem right though. I thought Teddie's shadow would feel…stranger."

"Maybe I'm just not as weird as you thought." Teddie suggested.

"That's definitely not it." Yosuke said. "You're a walking, talking bear mascot who used to be a monster from the human subconscious, and grew a human body inside what was an empty suit. I don't think it gets much weirder than that." They Investigation Team reached the top of the stairs to find another large and dark area.

"Alright, where is this grizzly?!" Teddie shouted. "I'll maul him!"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'm not here for you." A voice called from the darkness. They all recognized it.

"You can't be serious." Naoto sighed. "Alright, I know it's you, just turn on the lights." The lights turned on, revealing her shadow, the same shadow she had faced in the TV world. The shadow stood in a copy of the laboratory that had formed the final room of her shadow world.

"You didn't think you'd seen the last of me did you?" The shadow asked. "I mean, you accepted that I was you, but you really haven't changed all that much."

"How can you say I've not changed?" Naoto asked. "I no longer pretend to be a man. I've accepted that I'm not an adult. I'm happy with the person I am."

"Are you really?" The shadow pressed. "If I'm not mistaken, that's a boy's uniform. Even in a parallel universe you wear men's clothing. That haircut doesn't exactly scream girl either. You even still wear that industrial strength sports bra to flatten your chest. It must be painful."

"The way I dress makes me feel comfortable." Naoto said. "I don't see the need to change my whole wardrobe, and as for the uniform, I don't like skirts."

"Maybe it would be different if you thought of it as a kilt." The shadow laughed. "Come on and admit it. The only person you can be yourself around is him." The shadow pointed a finger at Yu. "With everyone else you still put on the same old mask."

"I am who I am, and I don't claim to be anything different." Naoto said.

"You're still just desperate for acceptance too." The shadow accused. "I hear you even made some less than truthful modifications to your report on the Shadow Operatives to the government, just so they would keep you around. Selling out your friends so people will like you, that's a new low."

"I said nothing untrue in that report." Naoto said. "The only reason I want them to keep me on the case it so I can protect my friends."

"You can justify it however you want." The shadow said. "The bottom line is, you're the same lonely little child you always were, and you still haven't accepted who you really are."

"I've had enough of this pointless conversation." Naoto said. "You've wasted more than enough of my time. Can we just get this over with?"

"I would be happy to finish this." The shadow said. "I should warn you, I have a Persona now too. Ousu!" A Persona appeared above the shadow. It had the form of a samurai in red armor wielding a katana.

"I will prevail." Naoto declared. "Yamato Sumeragi!" She summoned her Persona.

* * *

"This is bad; what are we going to do?" Jaune asked in a panic.

"We've got to get out of here now." Yang said. "Is the exit blocked?"

"No, it's clear." Labrys confirmed.

"What are we waiting for?!" Blake shouted. "We need to go now!"

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Seeker of Truth_ (Persona 4 Arena Soundtrack)*

Yamato Sumeragi flew at Ousu, veering off and avoiding a slash from Ousu's sword at the last possible moment. Naoto's Persona turned around and stabbed at Ousu's back, landing several powerful strikes before it spun around and elbowed Yamato Sumeragi, sending Naoto's Persona tumbling away. It spun in the air and recovered as Ousu charged. Yamato Sumeragi dodged a vertical slash of Ousu's blade and attacked its side. Ousu swung its sword around and Yamato Sumeragi blocked it with its own sword. The force sent Naoto's Persona sailing through the air, but it stopped short of running into anything.

"Mudoon." The shadow said. A circle appeared below Naoto's Persona. It collapsed in a flash of light. Yamato Sumeragi remained unhurt. The same circle immediately appeared below Ousu, collapsing and having no effect. "Agidyne." The shadow said. Ousu reached out an arm and fire shot from it at Yamato Sumeragi. The fire engulfed the Persona but when the flames died away, Yamato Sumeragi was unhurt.

"For someone who claims to know my inner thoughts, you don't know much about my abilities." Naoto said.

"And for someone who claims to be a genius detective, you're not very smart." The shadow retorted. Ousu suddenly appeared directly behind Naoto, between Naoto and her shadow. She drew her blade and quickly raised it to block Ousu's strike. The power of the strike knocked her off her feet, and Yamato Sumeragi swept in to her defense. Ousu spun around and caught Naoto's Persona with her free hand. It slammed the Persona to the ground.

Yu grabbed his blade and prepared to intervene but Kanji stepped in front of him. "She can do this." Kanji said. "She doesn't need our help."

Ousu raised its sword to finish Yamato Sumeragi off. "Tetrakarn!" Naoto shouted. Ousu's blade slammed into Yamato Sumeragi but in a flash of light it bounced off flew out of Ousu's hand. While Yamato Sumeragi struggled to recover, Naoto changed her weapon to its rifle form and fired several shots. Ousu reacted as if it were being attacked by bees, swatting at the incoming bullets. As Naoto reloaded, Ousu recovered its blade and headed directly for her. It raised its sword high into the air and brought it down hard. Naoto side-stepped the attack and Yamato Sumeragi attacked Ousu from behind. Yamato Sumeragi's blade pierced Ousu's neck, and the Persona faded to static and disappeared.

"You bitch!" The shadow screamed, holding its neck as it felt its Persona's pain. It reached under its lab coat and retrieved a revolver. It aimed it straight at Naoto and pulled the trigger. Yamato Sumeragi swept in between them, taking all six shots. Naoto doubled over in pain as her Persona faded to static and disappeared. "Now I've got you." The shadow said, slowly reloading the revolver.

"I don't think so." Naoto said. She raised her rifle, took careful aim, exhaled and fired. The bullet struck the shadow's revolver, knocking it out of the shadow's hand. The shadow stood there stunned. "I'm done with you." Naoto said.

The shadow looked over its shoulder and spotted the revolver, just a few feet away. It turned and ran for its weapon. Naoto took another shot. The bullet slammed into the shadow's back and blasted out its chest, leaving a sizable hole that oozed black goo. The shadow stopped and looked down at the wound, a stunned look on its face. Naoto concentrated and fired another shot. The shot struck the shadow in the back of the head, blasting the top of its skull off in a shower of black liquid. The shadow dissolved and disappeared.

"That was unpleasant." Naoto said. "I really wasn't expecting to face my shadow tonight."

"Yeah, it should have been Teddie's this time." Chie said. "What gives?"

"I guess there just isn't anything that bothers me enough." Teddie said.

"You are a disturbingly carefree guy." Yosuke added.

"Somethings wrong!" Rise announced. "I agreed on a distress call with Yang, and her Persona is sending it. We need to help them now!"

* * *

Aigis woke up in a warm bed. She looked around in a panic, not knowing where she was. The morning light illuminated the room, throwing long shadows across the furniture. Wait, she was just in her dorm room. Why did she not recognize it at first? Then she remembered what day it was. A year ago today, she had met Minato. They had been dating pretty much ever since and tonight they were going on a date, having dinner at a fancy restaurant. Her confusion was probably just nerves.

She looked at the clock. It was later than she expected. If she did not hurry, she would be late for school. She took a quick shower, threw on her uniform and headed out. She just made it to class on time. It was a waste really; she could not concentrate at all. She could not stop thinking about Minato. She was surprised because she normally enjoyed her classes and did very well. Why was she unable to get him out of her mind?

After classes, Aigis rushed back to the dorm to get ready for her date. She put on her best dress. It was not that special, she was an orphan and did not have much money, and had little to spend on clothes. Minato was an orphan too, he would understand. They were both alone, but they had each other. She put on some makeup with a little help from her friend Yukari, and she was ready to go. Minato was late. He had a job, and he was leaving early just so they could go out, but he must have gotten tied up.

After what seemed like an eternity, Minato arrived, apologizing profusely. He rushed to his room to change out of his work clothes and was back in a flash. He wore a suit and had his blue hair brushed back. His normal look saw his hair covering most of his face. He never dressed this nicely either. Aigis felt underdressed but there was nothing she could do about that.

They left the dorm and walked to the restaurant. Now Aigis felt very underdressed. She had never been inside the place before, and it was even fancier on the inside than she had imagined. They were seated at a small table in the corner. She looked over the menu and could not get past the prices. She felt guilty. There was no way she could afford this and Minato worked very hard for his money. Still, he seemed happy. They had a delicious meal. The portions were small, but the food was excellent. Minato paid the bill without letting Aigis see how much it had cost, and she could not help but feel bad for not being able to help out.

Minato reached across the table and grabbed Aigis' hands. "You're so beautiful." He said.

Aigis was taken aback. Minato was quiet and reserved, and this was uncharacteristically bold for him. "Thank you." She said awkwardly. "You are quite handsome yourself." She laughed.

"I don't just mean your appearance." Minato said. He seemed nervous. "You're a wonderful person. You're so friendly and caring. I love you more than anything. I would give up anything for you." Aigis did not know how to respond. "I can't imagine life without you by my side." He continued. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He opened it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. "Aigis, will you marry me?"

Aigis nearly fell out of her chair. She was totally blindsided. She loved Minato but she never imagined he would want to spend his life with her. Surely he could do better. She was just a poor orphan with bad social skills. He was popular, smart and suave. "Of course I will!" Aigis blurted out, tears of joy running down her face. "Nothing would make me happier."

Walking home with him, Aigis felt like she was floating on a cloud. She had to pinch herself to make sure she was not dreaming. She could not be happier, but she still felt guilty. The dinner and the ring must have cost Minato a fortune, and she would have been happy with Wild Duck Burger and a rubber band. Besides that, what would life be like with her? She could not cook; she got good grades but had no particular prospects for a career. Surely she would drag him down. Minato seemed to notice her discomfort. "Come on now, this wasn't a rash decision." He assured her. "I've wanted to ask you for a long time. I feel like when we're together, there's nothing I can't do. I feel like you make me a better person. I could never love anyone else the way I love you."

"I feel the same way." Aigis said. "I just do not want to disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint me." Minato said. "In fact…" Out of the corner of Aigis' eye she saw a flash of movement. A figure leapt out of an alley and punched Minato in the jaw. He fell to the ground unconscious.

Aigis was terrified. She stared at the assailant unable to believe her eyes. The blue hair covering his face, his casual posture, his headphones hanging from his neck, there was no question. It was Minato.


	18. Cold Reality

Chapter 18

Aigis' eyes darted back and forth between the Minato unconscious on the ground and the one standing before her. She wanted to scream but her mouth felt dry and she was unable to make a sound. "Hello Aigis." The new Minato said. "I'm sorry I had to scare you like that."

"Who are you?" She finally managed.

"Minato." He replied.

"You cannot be Minato." Aigis said. "You are not the real Minato."

"Strictly speaking, you're correct." The new Minato admitted. "He, however, is not the real Minato either."

"I do not understand." Aigis said.

"Allow me to explain it then." The new Minato offered. "I am, that is Minato is, dead. He died years ago. Don't you remember? The Dark Hour, Tartarus, Nyx, he sacrificed his life to save the world. Minato died in your arms. This is all an illusion."

"No, that cannot be true!" Aigis shouted. "Minato is right here and he loves me. We are getting married. I do not know who you are, but you are not Minato." She crouched beside the fallen Minato. He groaned but still seemed unconscious.

"You have to remember." The new Minato pleaded. "Your friends need you. Would you rather live in this fantasy than be with them? Do you have any idea how sad they would be if you did? It would be as if you died. Think about how you felt when I died."

"No, that is not true." Aigis cried. "You are lying."

"I didn't want to do this." Minato sighed. "Unfortunately it seems I have no choice." There was a flash of light and the new Minato transformed into a monster. It was a vaguely humanoid figure wearing a black overcoat but with a monstrous head. What appeared to be coffins floated around it connected by chains, forming a partial circle around its back and sides. "Do you remember yet? This is Thantos. You could not defeat death, so you trapped it in a young boy, Minato. It reunited with its fragments with the intention of bringing about the end of the world through the intervention of Nyx. Nyx could not be defeated, so Minato sacrificed himself to seal Nyx away."

"No!" Aigis pleaded. She covered her ears with her hands and shook her head. "Stop it!"

"Look at Minato." The monster commanded. "Look at him!" Aigis looked at the downed Minato, but instead of her love, she saw a rotting corpse infested with maggots, bits of flesh hanging off its skeleton. "Now you see him as he really is!"

"This cannot be happening!" Aigis screamed. She sobbed uncontrollably.

"You're not even human." The monster said. "Look at yourself. Really look. You're a machine, a machine with human emotions, but still a machine." Aigis looked at her arms and instead of her pale skin saw white metal joined to red plates at her wrist with white and black metallic hands. "Now remember!"

"No, I do not want to remember." Aigis sobbed.

"You don't want to remember?" The monster pushed. "Remember what?"

Suddenly it all came flooding back to Aigis. Facing death on the Moonlight Bridge, trapping death in the boy, meeting Minato on Yakushima, the Dark Hour, Tartarus, Thantos, Nyx, Minato's death, she remembered it all. She was a weapon designed to fight shadows. This world was a lie.

The monster transformed back into Minato. He stepped forward and hugged the crying Aigis. "It's okay." He comforted her. "You have friends waiting for you. One day, maybe, just maybe, we'll meet again." Aigis closed her eyes and pressed her face into Minato's chest, unable to stop sobbing long enough to say something.

* * *

Aigis woke up in a warm bed. She looked around in a panic, not knowing where she was. The morning light illuminated the room, throwing long shadows across the furniture. There was no one else in the room but the door was open. She saw someone pass by in the hallway then quickly return. It was Pyrrha. "Aigis is awake!" Pyrrha yelled. Soon the room was full of people. The Investigation Team, Team RWBY, Team JNPR and her sister Labrys were there in a flash.

Labrys rushed to her and hugged her. "I thought I'd lost you." Labrys said, crying tearlessly. "I thought I was alone again."

"You'll never be alone." Aigis said. "Even if I am gone, you still have all these wonderful friends, and so do I. I am sorry I worried you, it must have been difficult."

"We thought you were dead." Labrys said. "You were in complete shutdown and nothing we did would reactivate you. I'd given up."

"How long was it?" Aigis asked.

"This would have been the third day." Ruby replied. "We had no idea what to do. We haven't been out fighting the shadows since."

"You did not have to stop on my account." Aigis said. "You are more than skilled enough to fight shadows without me."

"It seemed pretty pointless." Yosuke said. "The Tower's still blocked, so we couldn't do anything there, and the only shadow world left is yours, so we couldn't go without you."

"Now that you're back, we can all take on your world together!" Nora shouted.

"Maybe Aigis should rest for a while." Ren suggested.

"No, I will be alright." Aigis said. "I am not injured."

"What happened?" Blake asked.

Aigis sighed. "I think it is time I told you about my past."

* * *

"Ten years before the incident there was an explosion at a laboratory where shadows were researched." Aigis started. "My sister units were destroyed in our attempt to contain the shadows, and ultimately I was forced to fight death alone. Death was too strong, so I did the only thing I could: I trapped death inside a child who happened to be nearby. That child was Minato. He returned to the scene ten years later, sparking the incident. I encountered him when he visited Yakushima, the same island where Labrys was created and where I was being kept."

"So that's why you were distracted when we were in Labrys' world." Pyrrha said. Aigis nodded in confirmation.

"My memory had been damaged by all that had happened, and I did not remember him, except that I knew I wanted to be near him." Aigis continued. "It sounds romantic, but when my memories returned I realized I simply wanted to keep an eye on death. He and I, along with a group of other Persona users were deceived into killing certain shadows. This inadvertently reunified death with his lost parts and returned it to full strength. I tried one last time to defeat death, but I failed and was heavily damaged in the process. My mission, my reason for living, was to destroy shadows and I failed that."

"That must have been difficult." Jaune said.

"When I was reunited with my friends, I determined a new reason for living with their help." Aigis said. "I would protect them. By that point my emotions were fully developed, but I did not understand life the way humans do. Minato spent time with me and helped me understand what it means to live. He did not have to, and I am sure there were many other ways he could have spent his time that would have been more enjoyable, but he chose to help me. More than anyone else, he saw me as a person rather than a machine. I guess you could say I loved him, and perhaps he loved me."

"What happened with death?" Yang asked.

"The situation involving death was rather complex." Aigis replied. "Death in this case was just an avatar for Nyx, a god that could bring about the end of the world. This was caused by the collective despair of mankind and their desire to no longer be forced to suffer the pains of life. This desire spawned another god, Erebus, who would call Nyx to come and fulfill mankind's desire. We fought Nyx, but it was hopeless. Nyx was all-powerful. Minato sacrificed his life to create a seal that prevented Erebus from summoning Nyx. For the sake of his friends, he clung to life for a few months before his inevitable death. He laid his head down on my lap and died. My new reason for living, my goal in life, was to protect my friends and Minato in particular. Again I had failed. There is not much else to it."

"What happened while you were unconscious these past few days?" Yu asked. "I assume it was related." Aigis explained the world her mind had been trapped in, going into great detail. She also explained how she had escaped.

"So, if the second Minato wasn't really him either, who was it?" Chie asked.

"I cannot say for sure, but I have a theory." Aigis admitted. "I believe he was a combination of part of my mind that was aware of what was happening and trying to escape, and him. He once made physical contact with my Papillion Heart, which burned some of his genetic material into it. I believe this combined with my one mind to create that version of him."

"I thought our Plumes of Dusk weren't supposed to be exposed except in laboratory clean rooms." Labrys said. "Were you that damaged in battle that it was exposed?"

"No, I was not damaged at the time." Aigis replied. "At my request and following my instructions he accessed and touched it. I wanted to be closer to him, and that was the best way I could think of to do that." She paused and looked at the floor. "I had never felt a pain like I did upon his death. I do not think I ever will, and I would not want anyone else to experience that."

"Just know that you're not alone." Ruby said, hugging Aigis. "We have felt the pain of loss as well. When I was young, my mother was killed while on a mission. I feel that loss to this day, but having friends to talk to, friends who can comfort me, makes the pain a little more bearable. I hope talking about it helps, and if you ever need someone, I'm here for you."

* * *

"I'm glad to hear Aigis has recovered." Ozpin said. "This does raise some concerns however. Based on how you described the situation, it sounds like she was in serious danger."

"A weaker person would have been in serious danger." Yu said. "Knowing how strong she is, mentally and physically, I don't think there was any chance she wouldn't escape."

"Still, you must be careful." Ozpin advised. "If our foe has the ability to trap someone's mind, even if the snare was not particularly difficult to escape, he must be exceptionally powerful." He took a sip of his coffee. "I'm very concerned about the potential danger to my students, you must solve this."

"We're doing everything we can, you have my word." Yu said. "We won't stop until Beacon is safe." He shook Ozpin's hand and left.

Soon after, Glynda walked in. Ozpin was staring out the window, a sure sign that something was bothering him. "What's wrong?" Glynda asked.

"I'm worried about our guests." Ozpin replied. "Aigis has recovered, but even if they won't admit it, it was a close call. They have experience dealing with this sort of thing, and it seems even they can be caught off guard. If they fail, I fear there will be nothing any of us can do."

"We've done all we can." Glynda said. "As much as I hate to admit it, we just have to trust them." Ozpin did not respond. "There's more to it isn't there?"

"I feel like we're using them." Ozpin admitted. "They may be here of their own free will, but they're being put in danger for our benefit all the same. If they should fall…to have that on my conscience…"

"We put all our students in mortal danger." Glynda reminded him. "It's part of being a Hunter."

"They're not Hunters." Ozpin said.

"They'd be better Hunters than many of our students." Glynda said. "They've faced real danger, they know the risks and the stakes. They're also remarkable fighters. I've never seen complete novices progress so quickly. They could easily defeat many of our students. If anyone can do this, it's them."

"I hope you're right." Ozpin said, staring out the window. "I hope you're right."

* * *

"It would be safer for me to go alone." Aigis said. "This is my responsibility. The rest of you should wait here. There is no need for the rest of you to put yourselves at risk."

"Not a chance." Ruby said. "What kind of friends would we be if we let you face this alone?"

"Ruby's right, we're all coming with you." Yu declared.

"Thank you, this means a lot." Aigis said. She slapped a magazine into her forearm. "I am ready." That was not strictly true, but she was as ready as she would ever be. She entered the door and the others followed.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Iwatodai Dormitory_ (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

It was immediately apparent to Blake that something was wrong. For one thing, they were in the wrong place. The first time they had entered Aigis' world, they had arrived in the lobby of a dormitory. This time, they were in a smaller room. The décor was of a similar style, probably from the same building, but it was certainly a different space. On one wall was a large set of electronic devices below a bank of monitors. The center of the room was occupied by a set of chairs and a small table. A double door behind them was presumably the entrance, and a single door at the far end of the room appeared to be the only other exit. Secondly, some of them were missing.

"Yu and Naoto aren't here." Yosuke observed. "Are you guys missing anyone?"

"Team JNPR is accounted for but Aigis and Labrys aren't here." Jaune said.

"Ruby and Yang are missing too." Weiss added.

"This again?!" Rise exclaimed. "They split us up last time too." She summoned her Persona and scanned the area. "The others aren't far away, but they're spread out and I can't contact them." She reported. "We're sealed in this room too. Some force is holding the doors closed."

"Is there anything we can do to break out?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, I think the others have to do something to let us out." Rise replied. Nora ignored her and slammed Magnhild into the double doors. It bounced off and nearly hit her in the face. "That's not going to work." Rise warned. "We should conserve our energy just in case we're attacked."

* * *

Yu felt an intense sensation of vertigo and stumbled, reaching out to grab something to steady himself. Finding nothing, he dropped to his knees and waited to regain his bearings. His dizziness faded, allowing him to get back to his feet. He looked around, but there was not much to see. He appeared to be on the roof of a building. A metal door across the roof was the only way to go, so he headed for it. The place was unnerving. The greenish sky was dominated by a too-large moon.

The door swung open and Naoto stumbled through it as if she had been pushed. The door slammed shut behind her as she spun around to grab at it. She turned back to Yu, her face displaying a mix of confusion and curiosity, and possibly a hint of trepidation. Her new weapon was missing. Yu reached for his own but came up empty. Clearly they had walked into some sort of trap.

"What's going on?" Yu asked. "Have you seen the others?"

"I don't know." Naoto said, examining their surroundings. "I don't remember anything before coming through that door."

"At least we found each other." Yu said with relief. "Will that door open?"

Naoto tugged at the doorknob. "It's locked." She reported. "Is there any other way off this roof? A ladder maybe?"

"I assure you, that's the only way." A familiar voice said. A figure dropped out of the sky, landing between them. It appeared to be Adachi, maybe a shadow version of him. Yu rushed at Adachi but slammed into an invisible barrier. "I've had enough of fighting you." Adachi said. "I think I'll see how I do against one of your pals."

* * *

Ruby lay flat on her back. She had a terrible headache. Sitting up, she looked around. She was in the lobby of the dormitory that made up Aigis' world, but she was alone. She grabbed a nearby chair and used it to help her stand. Her legs felt weak, and she felt a bit dizzy. Something was wrong. Where was everyone else? A banging noise drew Ruby's attention to the stairs at the fare end of the room. She looked over just in time to see Yang tumble down the stairs. Yang landed on her face but quickly sprang to her feet. She straightened out her clothes before glancing back up the stairs.

"Yang are you okay?" Ruby asked, still steadying herself with the chair.

"I'm fine." Yang said. "I don't know what's going on though. One moment, we were entering this world, the next I was falling down the stairs. Where is everybody?"

"I don't know." Ruby replied. Finally regaining her balance, she stepped carefully toward Yang.

Suddenly, a figure raced down the curved staircase and slammed into Yang. Yang fell backwards but rolled up onto her feet. "You!" Yang shouted angrily as she stared at Neo. Neo smiled and bowed.

Ruby knew Yang was in danger. She had done poorly when fighting Neo in the past, and even if this Neo was a shadow, the fight would be difficult. She swung Crescent Rose around and fired a series of shots at Neo. The bullets struck an unseen barrier before reaching their target. Neo wagged a finger at Ruby before turning her attention back to Yang.

* * *

Aigis was totally disoriented. Her eyes slowly focused and her systems returned to normal. She was in a dorm room. To be more specific, it appeared to be Minato's dorm room, but not exactly the same. It was far too large. Still, the layout was the same and all the furniture was there. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. Suddenly, the door swung open and Labrys stepped through looking very confused.

"Where are we?" Labrys asked. She held her head and winced as if she were in pain.

"This is certainly my world." Aigis replied. "I do not know what exactly is going on however."

"Where is everybody?" Labrys asked.

"I do not know and my sensors cannot detect them." Aigis answered. "I think it is safe to say we have fallen into a trap."

With a loud crash, a figure burst through the window, landing between the mechanical maidens. It appeared to be Sho Minazuki. "Oh great, the two defective machines." Sho sighed. Aigis stood up and approached carefully. She reached to her back for her spear, but it was gone. Still, she advanced until she came up against an invisible wall. "Did you really think I'd fight both of you at the same time?" Sho asked, drawing his swords. "I'm going to send her to the scrap heap, then I'll deal with you." He laughed maniacally. Aigis could not tell if it was a shadow or the real Sho, something was interfering with her sensors. In any case, he would be dangerous.


	19. Pain of Loss

Chapter 19

The main monitor switched on. It showed Naoto and Adachi facing off, their respective Personas at the ready. Nearby, Yu looked on, seemingly restrained by some unseen force. "It looks like they're on the roof." Yosuke said.

"We have to help them!" Kanji shouted.

"We're sealed in here." Rise said. "There's nothing we can do."

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Fool or Clown?_ (Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Soundtrack)*

Magatsu-Izanagi swung its gigantic sword at Yamato Sumeragi, but Naoto's small and fast Persona was able to dodge the attack. It flew in, slashing Magatsu-Izanagi's face with its sword as it sailed past. Magatsu-Izanagi spun around and, with an arm outstretched, blasted electricity at Yamato Sumeragi. Naoto's Persona flew around making sudden darting movements to dodge the incoming attack while launching periodic blasts of fire back at Magatsu-Izanagi. The fire only seemed to make it angry.

Yamato Sumeragi's luck ran out as a bolt of lightning coursed through it. Naoto gasped in pain as her Persona was briefly stunned by the attack. Magatsu-Izanagi charged in with its sword, but Yamato Sumeragi recovered in time to dodge, countering with a stab to Magatsu-Izanagi's chest. Adachi's Person lashed out with a punch that connected with Yamato Sumeragi, sending the small Persona tumbling through the air. Magatsu-Izanagi unleashed a blast of wind that prevented Naoto's Persona from recovering while it closed in again.

"Shield of Justice!" Naoto shouted just as Magatsu-Izanagi swung its sword at Yamato Sumeragi. The blade struck its target but bounced off in a blinding flash of light. Adachi and his Persona both grunted in pain as the force of the attack was redirected into Magatsu-Izanagi's arm. Yamato Sumeragi unleashed a flurry of slashes at Magatsu-Izanagi, but they had no discernable effect. Magatsu-Izanagi blasted Yamato Sumeragi back with wind before hitting it with another bolt of lightning.

"It's time I finished you off." Adachi taunted. Magatsu-Izanagi closed with Yamato Sumeragi and brought its sword down hard. Yamato Sumeragi was only able to partially dodge the attack, taking a hit from the hilt instead of the blade. Naoto's Persona was knocked to the ground hard.

Naoto was exhausted and Yamato Sumeragi was close to destruction. Desperate times called for desperate measures. "Megidolaon!" She shouted. A ball of energy formed above Magatsu-Izanagi before slamming into it in a tremendous explosion. Both Personas were blasted away and the combatants were knocked off their feet. With both Personas defeated, only Naoto and Adachi remained to finish the battle. Adachi crawled around, struggling and failing to stand repeatedly as Naoto backed up toward where Yu was blocked by the invisible barrier. She took a deep breath and carefully stood, though it appeared she could fall over at any moment. Adachi too managed to get to his feet. The two injured combatants faced each other for a moment.

Naoto and Adachi simultaneously reached for their revolvers. The invisible barrier ceased to exist and Yu rushed in to help just as the two fired. Several gunshots rang out and Yu was sprayed with blood.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _Time to Say Goodbye_ (RWBY v2 Soundtrack)*

Yang knew that her normal tactics would only lead to failure when facing Neo. Their last fight had made that much clear. Yang still felt an intense rage and hatred toward Neo, but it was tempered by a healthy respect for her fighting prowess. Yang summoned her Persona Turan and blasted fire at Neo. Neo opened her umbrella in the fire's path and the flames curved harmlessly around her. Still, Turan kept the flames coming. Using the fire to cover her approach, Yang charged, leapt over Neo and landed behind her. She attempted to punch Neo in the back of the head, but she dodged and mule-kicked Yang in the stomach.

Yang rushed back in, this time attempting to shoulder-block Neo. She made contact, but Neo shattered like glass, the fire from Turan now engulfing Yang harmlessly as she looked around in confusion. Neo, having teleported, appeared behind Turan. She removed her blade from the umbrella's shaft and repeatedly stabbed Turan in the back. Yang felt the pain and hastily withdrew her Persona as Neo continued to stab at it. Neo slid her blade back into her umbrella and smiled as Yang seethed. Yang ran at Neo but instead of attacking, stopped short. Neo looked somewhat confused by the move and swung her umbrella around at Yang's head. Yang ducked it and hit Neo in the face with an uppercut. Neo stumbled back and Yang pressed the attack, only to have her punches blocked by Neo's umbrella. Neo followed up by sweeping Yang's legs.

Yang slammed down onto her back and quickly rolled out of the way as Neo stomped her boot down at where Yang's face had been. Yang leapt to her feet and caught an oncoming kick. She punched Neo in the face, now forcing her to the ground. She dove on top of Neo and loosed a flurry of punches at Neo's head. Neo deftly dodged the shots before rolling Yang off. The two briefly separated before charging back at each other. Yang loaded up a mighty punch but completely missed as Neo sidestepped. With Yang off balance, Neo had no trouble kicking her in the back of the head. Yang tumbled to the ground. Before Yang could recover, Neo kicked her in the side of the head.

Ruby looked on as Yang lay motionless, Neo standing over her with a manic smile. Neo drew her blade and raised it over Yang. Staring into Ruby's eyes, she plunged the sword into Yang's midsection. Suddenly, Yang reached up, grabbed Neo's wrist and dragged her to the ground. With the blade still piercing her, Yang jumped on Neo and grabbed her by the hair. She slammed Neo's head into the ground repeatedly, each hit bloodying Neo's face. With Neo motionless, Yang rained punches down into the back of her head until it was crushed.

The invisible barrier ceased to exist and Ruby rushed to her sister. Yang smiled at Ruby's approach before slumping to the ground, Neo's blade firmly planted in her.

* * *

*Recommended Music: _The Joker_ (Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Soundtrack)*

"Sho, please, we don't have to fight." Labrys implored.

"Can it you stupid toaster." Sho said, swiping his sword across in front of him for emphasis. With inhuman speed he charged at Labrys, swinging his twin swords at her furiously. Labrys blocked some of his attacks with her axe and dodged the rest as she was slowly backed up to the wall. Sho refused to let up as he stabbed at her wildly until he miscalculated and stabbed one of his blades into the wall.

Labrys took advantage of the opening, blocking the other sword before kicking Sho in the chest. Sho tumbled back, leaving one of his swords stuck in the wall. Labrys approached slowly but Sho displayed no caution. He charged straight at Labrys, this time stabbing instead of slashing, making it harder for Labrys to block his attacks. Labrys blocked one of the stabs hard, knocking Sho off balance. Labrys swung her axe at his torso but Sho had the presence of mind to duck as the massive weapon missed him by inches. He back-flipped away as Labrys slammed her axe down at the spot he had been standing in.

"Now you get it." Sho laughed. "Kill or be killed. I thought you of all people would understand." Labrys frowned and looked suddenly unsure of herself. Sho saw his opening and summoned his Persona Tsukuyomi. Labrys countered with her own Persona Ariadne. Tsukuyomi swung its blade at Ariadne, but Labrys' Persona caught the blade in a red string and twisted it away from Tsukuyomi. Ariadne stretched out an arm and a rune appeared on the ground below Tsukuyomi. Red spears shot up from the ground and into Tsukuyomi. It writhed in pain as Labrys charged in to finish it off. Just as she swung her axe around, Tsukuyomi disappeared. Labrys turned to see Sho, who had used his Persona as a distraction, attacking Ariadne. He stabbed at Labrys' Persona with his remaining blade, and Ariadne could not keep up with the attacks.

Labrys withdrew Ariadne just before she and it would have been defeated. Sho and Labrys now faced each other, both injured and exhausted. They charged at one another, both swinging their weapons in hopes of a single killing blow. The sickening sounds of metal on metal and rending flesh filled the air as the invisible barrier ceased to exist, allowing Aigis to rush to her sister's aid.

* * *

Adachi, with several bullet wounds, collapsed. On impact with the ground he exploded in a splash of black liquid, clearly having been a shadow. Naoto stood motionless. Then, she wobbled and started to fall. Yu rushed in and caught her, easing her to the ground. She was gravely wounded. By Yu's count she had been shot four times, and two of the wounds were dangerously close to her vital organs. She lay on his lap as blood poured from her wounds, a look of pain on her face.

"Hold on Naoto, you'll be alright." Yu said his voice shaky. He summoned Norn and tried to heal her. It had no discernable effect. He tried Kikuri-Hime. Then Isis. Then Norn again. Nothing worked. Naoto just kept bleeding from her ragged wounds. "Damn it! Come on!" He shouted as he tried to heal her over and over. Finally Naoto grabbed his wrist to stop him. She smiled and squeezed his hand. Tears rolled down Yu's face, dripping off and mixing with Naoto's blood. "Come on, stay with me." He pleaded. "You can't die; there are so many things we have to do." Naoto was fading. Her grip on his hand weakened. "We were going skiing, just the two of us. We were going to be detectives, solve cases together. We were…" Naoto shook her head and brushed her hand against his cheek, wiping away his tears and smearing blood on the side of his face. She gave one last pained smile and went limp.

* * *

"God damn it!" Kanji screamed. He punched the wall until his hand bled. Rise, Teddie, Chie and Yukiko cried while Yosuke just sat in stunned silence. The others had no idea what to do or say. They had all just seen a friend die and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

"This can't be real." Yosuke said. "There's no way. It just can't be. Rise, tell me it's not real." Rise just shook her head as her tears continued to flow. The view of the roof switched over to a smaller monitor as the main screen showed a view of the lobby. Yang and Neo faced each other and began to fight as Ruby cheered her sister on.

* * *

"Yang!" Ruby yelled as she rushed to her sister's side. Yang pulled out Neo's blade and tossed it aside. Neo dissolved and disappeared, clearly a shadow. Ruby knelt beside Yang, propping Yang up on her legs. Yang coughed, spraying a fine mist of blood into Ruby's face.

"I must look terrible." Yang said. She did. Her clothes were bloody and torn. She was bruised and battered, cuts and scrapes covering her face.

"Just let me heal you." Ruby said confidently. She summoned Kikuri-Hime, her strongest healing Persona, and used its healing abilities on Yang. Some of Yang's scrapes closed and a few bruises disappeared, but there was still a sizable hole in her chest.

"I'm so sorry Ruby." Yang whispered. "I don't think I'll make it."

"No, you'll be okay." Ruby said frantically. "A sucking chest wound can't keep you down."

Yang laughed but coughed, producing even more blood. She coughed uncontrollable, choking on her own blood. She finally cleared her throat. "I'm sorry I failed you. I'm sorry I broke my promise." She said. "You have to go on without me. I know you're strong enough."

"No, you can't!" Ruby screamed. "I need you! I already lost mom, I can't lose you too!"

"Life isn't like a fairytale." Yang said. "We don't all get happy endings." She coughed violently then fell silent and limp.

* * *

Blake collapsed in the corner, desperately struggling not to cry. Weiss sat beside her, tears in her eyes, and hugged Blake. Nora sobbed inconsolably, pressing her face into Ren's shoulder. Jaune stared at the floor while Pyrrha rubbed his back while she cried silently. "There's just no way." Blake said. "This isn't fair!" She screamed. Nora wailed.

"Ruby must be devastated." Ren whispered to himself. "This is all too much." The scene shifted to another ancillary monitor while the main screen switched to showing the inside of a dorm room. Labrys was fighting Sho Minazuki while Aigis looked on helplessly.

* * *

Labrys and Sho stood perfectly still. Labrys' axe had smashed down through Sho's collar bone, almost cutting him in half. Sho's blade had punched straight through Labrys' chest. Aigis stared in horror at the end of Sho's blade. It was covered with glittering debris that seemed to glow. Aigis immediately know what it was and what it meant. He'd speared Labrys' Plume of Dusk, her very life essence. There was no saving her. Sho dissolved and disappeared, clearly a shadow. No longer supported, Labrys fell to the ground stiffly. Aigis rushed to her side, but she was well aware that there was nothing she could do. She looked into her sister's lifeless eyes. Aigis had only felt this alone once before.

* * *

Witnessing Labrys' death did not have the impact it might have. The Investigation Team, JNPR, Blake and Weiss were already in shock after losing their own friends. For all the tragedy and sadness they had suffered, they had never faced anything quite like this. Three friends, close enough to be family, dead before their eyes. The screens switched off, but they had not been watching for some time. Slowly despair was transforming to rage. Whoever was responsible was going to pay. They were going to die, and it would be slow and painful.

* * *

"I'm sorry for your loss." A voice said. Yu looked up to see a boy, probably about his age, wearing a school uniform, with blue hair that covered part of his face, approaching.

"Who are you?" Yu asked, fighting to stop crying. From the description he had heard, whoever this was had taken on the appearance of Minato.

"You might say I'm behind all this." The boy said. "My name is Tuoni."

"You bastard!" Yu shouted. He summoned Izanagi who charged at Tuoni.

"I'm not in the mood." Tuoni said. With a wave of his hand Izanagi disappeared. Yu expected to feel pain at his Persona being wiped away, but he felt nothing. "I'm sorry it had to come to this."

"Fuck you." Yu growled.

"I understand your anger." Tuoni said. "I must ask, however, that you listen to me. I offer you a chance to save her."

"What are you talking about?" Yu asked.

"She is dead, but I am death." Tuoni declared. "I can bring her back if I choose. If you give me something in return, I'll return her to full health."

"I'll give you anything." Yu said.

"I thought so." Tuoni said. "I need your Persona ability. Unfortunately, the only way to separate it from you is for you to die." Tuoni produced Yu's weapon from thin air and handed it to him. "If you sacrifice yourself, I will give her back her life. I will allow your friends to return to earth and even bring the others with them. Then this world will be mine, but your friends will be safe and alive." Yu looked at the weapon, unsure what to do. "If you reject my offer, strike me down. This is merely a projection and has no power, but the symbolism will be clear enough." Yu unsheathed his blade and closed his eyes. "Go; die with honor like the samurai of old. I will ensure that your death is painless." Yu's hand trembled as he thought about what to do. What would the others think? Would they be able to live without him? Could he trust Tuoni? Could he even bring himself to do it?

* * *

Ruby cried as she embraced Yang's lifeless corpse. The sound of footsteps drew her attention. "I'm sorry for your loss." A boy said. He had blue hair that covered most of his face and wore a school uniform. That was how Aigis described Minato.

"Just leave me alone." Ruby cried.

"You've lost so much." The boy said. "But I can fix that."

"What?" Ruby asked. "Who are you?"

"I am Tuoni." He said. "I am death. I can bring her back, but you must make a sacrifice in return."

"What do I need to do?" Ruby asked.

"I need your Persona abilities, but you cannot give them up without dying." Tuoni explained. "Take your life and I will restore Yang to full health. I will allow her and all your friends to leave this world, and then it will be mine. Your friends, however, will be safe, you will have saved them."

"I…I…" Ruby stammered.

"It is a difficult choice, I know." Tuoni said. "You can be a hero. You've always wanted to be a hero and now is your chance. If you reject my offer, strike me down. This form is merely a projection, but the symbolism will be poignant." Ruby clutched Crescent Rose and unfolded the blade. Questions filled her mind. Would Tuoni really keep his word? Would her friend be safe? Would Yang be able to live with herself? Could she even do it?

* * *

"I'm sorry for your loss." A voice said. Aigis knew the voice. It was Minato. She spun around to see him sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You must be a shadow." Aigis concluded. "I will eliminate you."

"I'm no shadow." Minato said. "I am Tuoni. I am death."

"That is even more reason to destroy you." Aigis said.

"I offer you a deal." Tuoni said. "Kill yourself and relinquish your Persona abilities, and I will revive Labrys. I will allow her and all of your friends to leave this world, and then it will be mine. They will be safe."

"Why should I trust you?" Aigis asked.

"Because you have no choice." Tuoni answered. "If you want Labrys to live, you must trust me. You will all perish unless you accept my offer." He produced her spear from thin air and handed it to her. "Take your own life and your friends will be saved. Your reason for living is to protect everyone, now is your opportunity." Aigis hesitated. "If you reject my offer, strike me down. This form is merely a projection, but the symbolism is the key." Aigis held her spear tight. She wanted desperately for Labrys to live, but she could not just give up. Could she just abandon this world? Would Labrys blame herself for Aigis' death? What would Minato do? Would she meet him?


	20. Life and Death

Chapter 20

Yu held his sword to his gut, preparing to slice himself open. Tuoni watched intently, looking more curious than anything else. He loved his friends more than anything else, and Naoto in particular. He would do anything for them and for her. But was this the right thing? He would save them, but what about Remnant? He breathed heavily, agonizing over the decision. Could he break his promise to Ozpin? How many would die if he did this? It was not heroic, it was selfish. He was going to sacrifice himself and everyone on this planet just to bring back his girlfriend.

"This isn't the way." Yu said. He swung his blade around and sliced through Tuoni. Tuoni frowned with disappointment before bursting into dust, maybe ash, to be blown away by the wind. Shadows normally collapsed into a viscous liquid, this was completely different. Yu turned back too Naoto's lifeless body. "I'm sorry I even considered it. I was weak and I would have let you down." To his shock Naoto's body burst into a cloud of ash just as Tuoni had done. The world around him melted like wax under a heat lamp and his consciousness faded.

* * *

Ruby had lost her mother all those years ago and it nearly destroyed her. The only thing that kept her going was Yang's support. Now she was gone too. There was nothing to live for without her. What was the point? Tuoni looked on as Ruby positioned Crescent Rose so the blade was inches from her neck. A pull of the trigger would slam the blade back and end it all. She tensed up and her finger trembled on the trigger. Something was not right. Why was she doing this? Why would she throw away her life and all of Remnant? She knew deep down that Yang would not be there forever. She was too rash, too aggressive, and as a Huntress her life expectancy was short anyway. No, this is not what she would have wanted.

"I'm sorry Yang." Ruby whispered. She twirled around, the blade of Crescent Rose scything through Tuoni. He frowned and burst into a cloud of ash the soon dissipated. Ruby turned to Yang's body. "I'll live for the two of us. I'll find your mother for you, and I'll never forget how much you mean to me." To Ruby's surprise Yang's body burst into a cloud of ash just as Tuoni had done. Then the world around her began to melt like ice cream on a hot day and she drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

Aigis had never been so alone. Well, she had, but she had never felt so profoundly lonely. She lost Minato all those years ago, and it was a crushing blow. The trauma had almost killed her and all of her friends. Now she had found a sister she had not known existed, and lost her just as swiftly. It was brutal. She pressed the end of her spear against her chest, careful to line it up with her Papillion Heart. Firing it would send it crashing through her chest, ending her. Then Labrys would live. But Labrys would be alone. Did she want to pass this feeling on to her sister? Surely that was just as cruel as letting her die, perhaps to a greater degree because Aigis actually had control in this case. Would Minato have wanted her to? He sacrificed himself to save the world. She would be sacrificing herself to save one person while abandoning an entire world to destruction. No, Minato would be very disappointed in her.

Aigis dropped her spear and looked up at Tuoni. "It pains me because you have his face." She said as she raised her arm. She blasted Tuoni with her hand gun. He frowned before bursting into a cloud of ash, not at all what she had been expecting. She fell to her knees, overcome by emotion. Had she made the right choice? "You had a short life, a painful life, but you can rest now." She said to Labrys. She placed her hand on Labrys' cheek and to her shock Labrys burst into a cloud of ash as Tuoni had done. Then the scenery started to melt like plastic insulation on overheated electronics. She got a warning that her systems were shutting down and then everything went dark.

* * *

A loud click drew their attention to the double door. In their grief they had all but forgotten that they were trapped. "It's unlocked, we can go now." Rise reported.

"What's the point?" Kanji sighed. "It's already too late." The others felt the same way. Still, Yu, Ruby and Aigis were surely just as distraught if not more so, and they needed support.

"Yu must be crushed." Rise said. "Aigis and Ruby too. We should go to them." Rise opened the door and stepped into the hall. She summoned her Persona to locate their friends. Suddenly her expression brightened. "No way." She concentrated intensely to confirm her findings. "Guys, I detect six of them!"

"So that means…" Kanji started, the reality beginning to dawn on him.

"They're not dead!" Nora shouted as she jumped for joy. They were separated, but they were all alive, if Rise's Persona was right that is.

* * *

Yu heard voices, but they sounded far away. Slowly they grew louder. He was finally able to open his eyes but the light blinded him. He squinted and looked around. He was lying in a bed in the Beacon dorm. How did he get here? Then he remembered, Naoto, Tuoni. He no longer wanted to open his eyes. What was the point? He realized the voices were his friends, but he could not understand what they were saying. It was like he was under water. He had to be strong for them. If he was depressed, so were they. He would have to be there to support them.

He sat up, his eyes blinking furiously as he tried to adjust to the light. The conversation around him stopped. There were his friends, looking at him with relief. He looked to his left and the sight made his heart leap. It was Naoto! She was unconscious but breathing. No bullet wounds, no blood, she just slept comfortably. Could it have been a dream? No, it was far too real. It must have been a trick, the sort of thing that had trapped Aigis' mind. He was so relieved. He wanted to shot for joy but his mouth was as dry as a bucket of sand and he could not make a sound.

The others noticed. "It must have been so hard to see it." Rise said, hugging him tightly. "We saw it too. When we found you, you were alone on the roof unconscious."

"Naoto was in one of the dorm rooms." Kanji explained. "As far as we can tell she was there the whole time."

Yosuke arrived, helpfully bringing a glass of water. Yu downed it and could speak again. "I'm so happy to see you guys." He said. "How much did you see?"

"We saw Naoto fight Adachi, and then saw her die in your arms." Yukiko explained.

"I'm afraid I may have said some things that are a bit embarrassing." Yu admitted.

"We had no sound." Chie said. "We were too busy crying anyway." Well that was a relief. He still maintained relationships with all the girls to one degree or another and the things he had said to Naoto would have made things with them awkward.

"Is she okay?" Yu asked, gesturing toward Naoto.

"She's the same as you." Rise replied. "We found her unconscious just like you, Aigis, Labrys, Ruby and Yang. They're all still out too. Is there any kind of mind trap like Aigis had?"

"No, I was just unconscious." Yu answered. "I guess we need some time to recover." Something was bothering him. "How long did the video go on for?"

"It cut off as soon as Naoto died." Pyrrha said. "It was the same when we saw Yang and Labrys die."

Yu had not known about them. Now the varied looks of concern and relief on everyone's faces made sense. Whatever had happened, it had been designed to impact all of them. "So you didn't see Tuoni?" Yu asked.

"Tuoni?" Weiss asked. "Who or what is Tuoni?"

"After I saw Naoto die, he appeared in Minato's form." Yu explained. "He said he was responsible for everything. He said if I killed myself and thereby gave him my Persona powers, he would revive Naoto and allow the rest of you to leave Remnant. Then he would take over."

"Take over for and do what?" Teddie asked.

"I don't know for sure." Yu said. "I got an unnerving feeling when talking to him. It was similar to when we faced Tuonen Piika. The name is similar too. I have to assume they're related and trying to do the same thing."

"You mean the stuff that happened in the forest is related to this?" Blake asked. "I'd assumed as much. Still, I thought that was over."

"What did Tuonen Piika want?" Ren asked. Team JNPR had been given the basic outline of the previous incident, but not the details.

"She wanted to merge the world of the living with the world of the dead." Yukiko explained. "That would mean the effective death of everyone on Remnant."

"Why would anyone want to do that?" Nora asked incredulously.

"Apparently Tuonen Piika is a goddess of death." Rise said. "She said she wanted to end everyone's pain, the pain that comes from losing loved ones. If everyone were united in death, that pain would disappear."

"Tuoni tried to use exactly that pain." Yu said. "He needs our Personas. I guess those of us with the Wild Card have access to so many that they would be all he would need. He tried to get me to kill myself so he could have my power. Tuonen Piika said she needed our Personas too. They've got to be working toward the same goal."

"That must be how Rosso is involved then." Chie said. "Tuoni must have broken him out of jail to help him like he helped Tuonen Piika."

"Hold on, did you say Tuonen Piika was a goddess?" Jaune asked with a hint of fear. "That would make Tuoni a god. We're fighting gods?! How are we supposed to win?"

"We've beaten gods before." Kanji said confidently. "We faced three of them on earth and then Tuonen Piika. We kicked all their asses; we'll kick Tuoni's too."

"You're too confident." Blake said. "Tuonen Piika almost killed you all." She looked directly at Kanji. "You were knocked out early in the fight if I remember correctly." Kanji frowned. "We've got to be very careful. Defeating Tuoni, who or whatever he is will not be easy. We need to be ready. I'm sure that psychologically we're not ready. After what we just faced, none of us are okay."

"She's right." Yu said. "We need to be at our best, and there's no way we're there now. I'm really worried about everyone, but Aigis and Ruby more than the rest. They've lost those closest to them before, and they were forced to relive that pain. We need to be there for them."

* * *

Yu changed into his sleeping clothes, just a ratty old t-shirt and sweat pants, with the intention of getting some much needed rest. The others went to keep an eye on Ruby, Yang, Aigis and Labrys, all of whom were still unconscious. If Naoto woke up, he would be there to help, so they could just leave him alone to sleep. It was pointless. Yu could not even begin to sleep. He just lay on his side, staring at Naoto in the bed across the room. They say you never know what you had until it's gone. Yu was feeling that for sure. He needed to get serious with their relationship before it was too late. Maybe it was time to break it off with the others, even if that would hurt them more than his original plan. He was letting them down easy, slowly over time. By the time he said anything; they would see it coming and hopefully be ready. He would still be around, still be a friend. Now his plan seemed so selfish. Was he doing it for them or so he could have some fun? It was not fair to any of them.

Yu snapped out of his train of thought as Naoto's eyes blinked open. She groaned and sat up. "Where am I?" She asked. "What happened?" Yu did not say anything; he was not sure what to say. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, halting her gaze on Yu. "Either heaven has drastically relaxed its dress code or I'm alive." She said. Yu chuckled; it was easily the best joke she had ever told. "I really thought I was dead." She added. "What happened?"

"I'd like to ask the same thing." Yu finally said. "I watched you die. The others saw too."

"It was weird." Naoto said. "I was in my body, but not in control. Everything I said, everything I did, I had no control. I was just a passenger. When Adachi shot me, I didn't even feel it. I could just feel my life fading. I felt so bad for you, to have to watch that without being able to do anything. I didn't even care about myself, just how you and everyone else would feel."

"It was hard for all of us, but you were the one dying." Yu said. "That's not the time to be unselfish."

"We both know I'm not so keen on me." Naoto laughed. "I'd much rather it be me than you or any of the others."

"Don't say that." Yu said seriously. He walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. "You're amazing. The world's a much better place with you in it."

"That's just like you." Naoto smiled. "You always say exactly what I need to hear. I just wonder if you really mean it." She frowned. "Those things you said while I was dying, like how you wanted to spend your life with me, did you really mean it? I know how the other girls feel about you, and I'm sure life with them would be a lot more fun. Would you really want to be with me?"

"More than anything." Yu said. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment and embraced.

"Now kiss!" Teddie shouted, standing at the door. Yu and Naoto pushed each other away and Yu tumbled off the bed to the ground. He scrambled back to his feet and faced Teddie, standing there with a carefree smile on his stupid bear face.

"How long were you there?" Naoto asked.

"Long enough to see you two getting all lovey-dovey." Teddie replied. He made kissy noises for emphasis.

Yu stomped over to Teddie and grabbed him by the zipper, lifting him off the ground and holding him right against his face. "If you tell anyone what you saw, I will personally tear every inch of fur off of you." Yu growled with fire in his eyes.

"Then I'll use you for target practice." Naoto added angrily.

Teddie's smile disappeared and he quaked with fear. "Sensei…" He said shakily before he fainted in terror. Yu dropped him and he rocked back and forth on the floor before coming to a rest leaning against one of his arms.

"Was I scary?" Yu asked Naoto with a smile.

"You were terrifying." Naoto laughed. "I was so embarrassed but I don't think he'll say a word."

"Yeah, I think our secret is safe." Yu chuckled. Yu rolled Teddie out into the hallway and closed the door.

* * *

Ruby woke up sobbing hysterically and saying something unintelligible about Yang. Luckily, Yang was right there, already awake. "Calm down Ruby, I'm right here." Yang said, hugging Ruby tightly. For once, Ruby did not mind.

"I thought you were dead." Ruby sobbed, a little calmer.

"You and me both." Yang said. "I didn't have control over anything I said or did. I was like a passenger in my own body, but I saw it all. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I'm just so happy you're okay." Ruby said, wiping away her tears as new ones quickly took their place. "I don't think I can go on without you."

"I won't be here forever." Yang sighed. "I know you care about me, but you have to be able to keep going when I'm gone. You were able to keep going after we lost mom, and you have to if you lose me."

"But you're the only reason I could keep going after mom died." Ruby cried. "You kept me going. Without you, what's the point?"

"Don't say that." Yang said. "You've got lots of great friends that need you. Even if I'm gone, they'll be there. Whatever happens to me, I just want you to be happy. The day will come when we're separated, whether it's by distance or death, and I don't want you to just mope around. You've got to live your life. That's all that matters."

"But…" Ruby protested.

"But nothing." Yang stopped her. "I'll be here with you as long as I can, but nothing is forever."

"I'm sorry." Ruby said. "I just can't imagine losing anyone else, whether it's you or one of our friends. I almost killed myself to bring you back."

"What!?" Yang was shocked.

"A boy showed up after I saw you die." Ruby explained. "He said he was Tuoni, the god of death and that if I killed myself to give him my Persona powers, he would bring you back to life. I had Crescent Rose at my throat before I changed my mind. I knew how sad you'd be, and I didn't want you or anyone to have my sadness."

Yang grabbed Ruby by both shoulders and held her tightly at arms' length. "Don't ever sacrifice anything on my account." Yang commanded, looking Ruby straight in the eyes. "That's the last thing I want. I'm not worth it."

"But you are worth it." Ruby said. "You're not perfect, but no one is. You've been a great sister and friend to me and I would do anything for you. It just felt selfish to bring you back by dooming Remnant. That's what Tuoni wanted. He said he'd let all of you leave, but that then the world would be his. If it was a one-for-one trade, me for you, I would have done it without a second thought. I just couldn't sacrifice the world I want to protect."

"Who is Tuoni exactly?" Yang asked.

"We think he's somehow connected to Tuonen Piika." Weiss said. "We don't really know much though. He told Yu he was behind all this, so it's safe to say Tuoni's our enemy."

"I'm sorry Yang." Ruby frowned.

"Don't be sorry." Yang encouraged her. "I can't imagine what you had to go through. You made the right choice in the end. We're both here and that's what really matters."

* * *

Aigis' systems were attempting to come back online but Aigis fought them at every turn. She did not want to wake up. She was not ready to face life without Labrys. She was not ready to be that alone again. Still, her systems were insistent and she was finally unable to delay them any longer. Her eyes activated and she could see that she was inside a Beacon dorm room. She could hear others talking. They were not as sad as she had expected, but everyone has a different reaction to grief. She sat up and simultaneously shifted her body to sit on the edge of the bed.

To her shock, Aigis came face-to-face with Labrys. She was talking and laughing with the others. "Labrys!" Aigis shouted. "How are…were you…I…"

Noticing Aigis' confusion, Jaune stepped in. "It was another trick." Pyrrha explained. "We all saw Labrys die, but it didn't really happen."

"Yeah, I was in that body and aware of what was happenin', but I had no control." Labrys said. "It wasn't really me though."

"I must be dreaming." Aigis said, still unable to believe her eyes.

"I promise this is real." Labrys said.

"I am so happy you are alright." Aigis said, crying tearlessly and joyfully. "I thought I was going to be alone again."

"You'll never be alone." Pyrrha admonished. "How many times do we have to tell you? We're all here for you, no matter what."

"I am so sorry to all of you." Aigis frowned. "That was my world. I put you through all that. Labrys, I am so sorry you had to suffer."

"I didn't suffer." Labrys said. "I was just suddenly unconscious. I woke up here a little while ago. You're the one I'm worried about. You had to see me die. You must have been crushed."

"Like you would not believe." Aigis admitted.

"So, did Tuoni ask you to kill yourself too?" Blake asked. "In return for bringing Labrys back?"

"How did you know that?" Aigis asked.

"We all watched Labrys die, but then the monitor cut out." Blake said. "The same happened with Yu and Naoto, and Ruby and Yang. Yu and Ruby both told us someone, in Minato's form, showed up. He offered to bring the other back in return for that individual's suicide."

"Yes, he called himself death and wanted my Persona abilities." Aigis confirmed. "He was not a shadow and not human. I sensed tremendous power and I fear he may be a god, much like Nyx."

"We think so too." Weiss said. "We think this incident may be related to the previous one with Tuonen Piika. The name is similar to Tuoni and they seem to have at least similar goals. Tuonen Piika was strong, but unlike Nyx, we could defeat her. Hopefully Tuoni will be like that too."

"I hope so too." Aigis said. She looked profoundly depressed. "If Tuoni is like Nyx, a similar sacrifice may be required to stop him. I do not think I could go through that again."

"I'm sure we can beat him." Nora said. "If he's so tough, he would have the guts to just fight us! The tricks show he's weak and afraid!" Nora's determination was somewhat disturbing but at the same time refreshing. Tuoni might be strong but Nora was right, Nyx never resorted to such ruses.

"You are right." Aigis declared. "With the help of all of you, I am sure we can defeat Tuoni." It was a lie, but it was something that needed to be said. Even if Aigis was not sure, morale was important and saying Tuoni could be defeated would provide a valuable lift. Minato never said much, but when SEES needed a lift, he always said exactly what they needed to hear. Aigis was determined to be the leader he would have wanted her to be.


	21. The First Triumverate

Chapter 21

"I believe we are now facing the final battle." Aigis said.

"That's good." Ozpin said. "Who is this battle against?"

"That is a somewhat complex situation." Aigis replied. "In terms of our _human_ opponent, an escaped criminal named Rosso Victrix appears to be heavily involved. We have detected him and are planning to deal with him tonight. Unfortunately, he is not the ultimate culprit. That is Tuoni, who appears to be a supernatural being."

"A supernatural being?" Ozpin pressed.

"Tuoni is the god of death, if he is to be believed." Aigis clarified. "He seems to be the one responsible for trapping my mind and he is tremendously powerful, god or not. We are fairly certain he is the root cause of this incident. We will be dealing with him as soon as possible. We cannot locate him, but we expect he will intervene if we confront Victrix."

"I know about Victrix." Ozpin said. "He was arrested with the help of Team RWBY. Apparently there is more to that than they were willing to admit. In any case, he is a skilled fighter and a dangerous opponent. As for Tuoni, I am not familiar. As far as I am aware, he does not appear in any of Remnant's religions of folklores, though gods of death are not uncommon. If you had told me when we first met that a supernatural being, a god, was behind all this, I would have thought you were insane. Though it's still hard to believe, I don't doubt your assessment. Whatever is going on here is beyond the power of an average person."

"On Earth we have been facing similar phenomenon for years, and most people are still not aware." Aigis said. "We have faced similar fights in the past, and I am confident in our success." In Aigis' case, confident put their odds at about 50-50. There were too many unknowns.

"Are you ready?" Ozpin asked.

"I cannot say for sure." Aigis admitted. "We have all been through a lot. Physically and psychologically, we have open wounds and lingering scars. Our enemy is still something of a mystery and there are many variables we cannot predict. That said it is my opinion that we are as ready as we will ever be. We have trained, we are strong, and we have overcome great hardship. I am also given assurance by our opponent's actions. If Tuoni were confident in the outcome, he would simply have faced us and destroyed us. By attempting to defeat us via ruse he has shown that he is not confident in the outcome of an open battle. We overcame his stratagem and now is the time to strike."

"I wish you luck." Ozpin said. "I'm sure you'll succeed. I only ask one favor."

"What is that?" Aigis asked.

"Keep my students safe." Ozpin replied. "There is nothing in this world I care about more."

"I will do all I can." Aigis promised.

* * *

*Recommended Music – _The Voice Someone Calls-In the Labyrinth-_ (Persona Q Soundtrack)*

"The last barrier is gone." Rise reported. "We're clear to the top of the Tower. I can sense Rosso and Helia there, and something else. It's dark and powerful."

"It must be Tuoni." Jaune said. "Are you guys sure about this? Fighting the god of death just doesn't sound like a good idea."

"It's our duty." Ruby said. "We're supposed to be Hunters and Huntresses. It's our job to protect people, and right now, Tuoni is the threat."

"I'll crush him!" Nora shouted with a manic smile on her face. Ready or not, wise or not, now was the time.

* * *

*Recommended Music – _The Almighty_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack)*

The top of the Tower was a wide expanse, seemingly endless. The flat black floor was broken by spires and grotesque effigies that appeared to be forced through the cracked ground. An archway, glowing light pouring from it, stood behind three figures. The first was easy enough to identify. Rosso Victrix, dressed in his Roman Legionary-like armor leaned against his shield Scutum. His spear gun, Pilum, was slung across his back. His face displayed confidence and anger with a hint of impatience. Behind him, nearest the arch, was Helia. She stood stiffly, her weapon in hand and her face blank as if she were in a trance. Between them was someone new. It was a man with pale white skin and impossibly dark black hair, wearing a black suit. His eyes were a piercing, glowing red. It had to be Tuoni.

"We've been waiting." Tuoni said. "My associates were growing restless." Rosso grunted in agreement while Helia remained still and silent. "I suspect you've already figured out who I am, and I know you've met the others, so I'll take my leave." He turned to Rosso. "With your new power, can you handle them?"

"I can." Rosso replied confidently. "I will not fail again."

"Good." Tuoni said. "I'll be going."

"Wait!" Ruby shouted. "Why are you doing this?"

Tuoni stared at her, seemingly sizing her up. "Rosso and Tuonen Piika have already informed you. We wish to merge the world of the living and the dead. The people of this world feel the pain of loss so strongly, but we will take that away. In fact, we will take away all pain. Is that not a noble goal?"

"It doesn't add up." Naoto said. "You would not act unless it benefitted you somehow. What are you really after?"

"I am altruistic." Tuoni insisted. "The people of this world are in pain. Their pain saddens me, and I wish to end it. It is their wish, and their wish is my wish."

"Do you really expect us to believe that?" Pyrrha charged. "This world's civilization is one that lives on the edge of destruction. If people wished to die, they would not go through such extreme measures to go on living. It's a hostile world; it would be easy to just give up. It may be your wish, but it's not theirs."

"Believe me or don't." Tuoni said. "It matters not. Rosso, deal with of them." He turned and walked away. As he approached the arch, Helia stepped out of the way, allowing Tuoni to pass and be engulfed in its light.

"I've wanted my revenge for a long time." Rosso hissed. "Now I will have it."

"Oh come on Rosso, how do you expect to beat us?" Weiss asked. "The four of us beat you last time, and now there are 16 of us. You don't have a chance. Your boss wouldn't even face us without using his tricks first. If he doesn't think you can win, how can you?"

"As for my patron, Tuoni used his ruses because he considers you beneath his dignity." Rosso said. "Why should a god fight mere mortals? Better to have them destroy themselves."

"He's running scared, even now." Kanji accused.

"His intervention is unnecessary." Rosso declared. "With my new power I will easily destroy you all."

"What new power?" Blake asked. She could sense the danger.

"Let me show you." Rosso said. "Persona!" A figure appeared above Rosso. It was a slender twenty foot tall woman with pale white skin and dark black hair, wearing a classy black dress. Her eyes were piercing and glowed red.

"Tuonen Piika is your Persona now?" Yang asked.

"Yes, she has been repurposed after her earlier failure." Rosso explained. "She may no longer be imbued with Tuoni's power, but we will annihilate you nonetheless."

"Summer Rose!" Ruby shouted in an attempt to summon her own Persona. Nothing happened. "Summer Rose!" She tried again, and again nothing happened.

Rosso laughed. "I think you'll find Tuonen Piika will be the only Persona in this fight." He taunted. "Tuoni has made sure of that."

*Recommended Music – _The Fog_ (Persona 4 Soundtrack, Disc 2, Track 9)*

Rosso slammed his shield down, planting it firmly as it cracked the floor. A hatch in it fell open and a machinegun barrel appeared. He used it to spray bullets at the group as they scattered, taking cover behind the spires and statues that crowded the area. "Keep them in front of me." Rosso commanded to Tuonen Piika.

"As you wish." Tuonen Piika replied in a whisper. She took up a position just behind Rosso and her fingers grew into long, razor-sharp claws. Anyone attempting to flank Rosso would have to deal with her. All the while, Helia stood motionless, blocking the arch that led to Tuoni. Maybe defeating Rosso would break whatever spell she was under.

"Tuoni is suppressing our Personas." Aigis said. "The Investigation Team should remain in cover." Rosso continued firing, preventing any of them from making a move.

"Take shots if you can but don't leave yourselves open." Blake suggested. "We can handle him without Personas." Teams RWBY and JNPR, along with Aigis and Labrys were well versed in fighting without Personas. The Investigation Team was not. They might be able to get a few shots in, but in direct combat they would only be a liability.

"We've got to close in." Ruby said. "If we can get close, that takes his gun out of the equation."

"How do we do that?" Jaune asked. "We can't even move without being shot."

"I have an idea." Yu said. "It needs some help though."

"What?" Ruby asked.

"I need a distraction, a smokescreen or something to blind him." Yu replied.

"I've got smoke grenades." Nora reported. Her usual carefree excitement was gone. She was focused.

"You lay that down in front of him, and we'll lay down covering fire to keep him from moving or using Tuonen Piika." Yu said. "Investigation Team, get ready to fire on my signal." A chorus of shouts to the affirmative followed. "Everybody else, get ready to attack. Nora, whenever you're ready."

"All right!" Nora yelled. A smile returned to her face as she stepped out of cover, running and slipping between obstructions to avoid Rosso's fire. She swung Magnhild around and fired a single grenade that landed just in front of Rosso's shield. It burst in a cloud of thick pink smoke, leaving only silhouettes visible on the other side of the cloud.

"Go, now!" Yu commanded. The Investigation Team poked their weapons out from around the obstructions they used as cover and fired indiscriminately in Rosso's direction. After a moment, the others charged, quickly closing the distance to Rosso as he fired ineffectually at the approaching horde. By the time he realized he was in trouble, they were upon him. Ruby got there first, hooking Scutum and tugging it. Rosso maintained his grip and pulled hard, sending Ruby tumbling behind him where she was attacked by Tuonen Piika. Tuonen Piika swiped her massive claws at Ruby who blocked the attack with Crescent Rose. Rosso gave ground as the others closed in, attempting to get around his flanks.

The rest of Team RWBY ignored Rosso, rushing past him and joining in the fight with Tuonen Piika. Ruby swing her scythe around and caught Tuonen Piika in the arm, but it was like hitting solid rock. The jolt unbalanced Ruby and she tumbled across the floor. Weiss used glyphs to encase Tuonen Piika's legs in ice. The beast ripped her legs free, only for Weiss to encase them again. Blake leapt high into the air and landed on Tuonen Piika's back. She wrapped Gambol Shroud's ribbon around Tuonen Piika's neck, used one end to anchor herself in place and the other to slash away at the beast's back. Yang went for the direct approach, running straight up to Tuonen Piika and delivering a flurry of Ember Celica-boosted punches. Aigis fired at Tuonen Piika with her hand guns and Labrys charged in, slamming her axe into the monster. It all seemed to have no effect. Tuonen Piika simply swatted at them as if they were annoying gnats.

Meanwhile, the smokescreen faded, leaving Team JNPR in clear view of Rosso. He took aim, firing a burst at Jaune. Jaune lifted his shield and blocked the incoming rounds. Hiding behind their shields, Pyrrha and Jaune carefully approached, absorbing the incoming fire as they advanced. Rosso slowly backed up as they closed in, but he continued to fire and this slowed him down. Soon, they were upon him. Rosso stopped shooting and shoved forward violently with his shield, hitting Jaune and Pyrrha and knocking both back. Rosso planted his shield and took aim just in time to see Nora flying at him. With a crazed cackle and a manic smile, Nora slammed Magnhild into Rosso's shield. The tremendous impact slammed the shield into Rosso, stunning him and pushing him back. Rosso struggled to regain his bearings only to be met by Ren. With a series of powerful strikes to the arm, Ren knocked Rosso's shield out of his hand before Rosso retaliated by smashing his heavily armored fist into Ren's face. Rent tumbled backward as Pyrrha and Jaune charged, engaging the now shield-less Rosso in hand-to-hand combat. He drew a short sword and parried their blows, countering with powerful punches whenever the opportunity presented itself. Rosso managed to knock both assailants off balance but was immediately hit in the chest by Magnhild. The sword flew from his hand and he slammed down on his back.

Tuonen Piika disappeared as Rosso lay on the floor groaning in pain. The group carefully closed in, ready to finish him off. Suddenly, Rosso swung Pilum around, pointed it back and fired. It missed everyone, but stuck in the ground near the arch. Rosso retracted the cable attached to the harpoon, dragging him away from the approaching assailants and over to Helia. He stood unsteadily beside her. "Helia, deal with them until my aura recharges." He commanded.

Her face emotionless, Helia stepped forward. She fired her flamethrower, laying down a line of fire between Rosso and the group. Even the fireproof Yang had to hold back when Helia revved her chainsaw. "Stay back." Helia said flatly. "You will not harm him."

"Helia, why?" Ruby implored. "I thought we were friends. Why are you working with him?"

"Why?" Helia said. "Because I miss my team. They're all dead, and I want nothing more than to see them again. Because I've had enough of this pain." Rosso stood beside her with a confident smile on his face. "But mostly so I can do this." Helia suddenly drew Coral's revolver and spun it around her hand into firing position. She lifted her arm and pointed the gun through the ear hole in Rosso's helmet. She pulled the trigger. The bullet crashed through Rosso's skull, bursting from his forehead in a spray of blood and brains. His helmet flew off, the top of his head still inside, as the rest of his body wobbled before crumpling to the ground. Everyone stood there stunned.

"Helia, you…" Ruby started.

"Killed him." Helia finished for her. She spun the revolver around in her hand and slid it smoothly into its holster. "It had to be done." She sighed. "He was too dangerous. He's already escaped from prison and this marks the second time he's tried to kill you all. He would have killed someone eventually."

"But…" Ruby said.

"I did it so you wouldn't have to." Helia said. "He wasn't going to stop fighting until you killed him. He told me as much. None of you have taken a life. It's a weighty thing and I don't want you to have that on your conscience. I'm a Huntress, I'm an adult, and it's my duty to protect this world and my duty to protect all of you."

"Why didn't you do it earlier?" Blake asked. "Why wait for us?" Blake was suspicious of Helia's intentions, even if she agreed with her action.

"I needed his aura to be down." Helia explained. "One shot would not have been enough to defeat his aura and kill him, and he was a much more powerful fighter than me. Attempting to kill him on my own would have been suicide. So I waited for my opening. I'm sorry you all had to see it."

"It's just shocking to see someone killed before your eyes." Yukiko said. "He was evil, to be sure, but, I don't know."

"My conscience is clear." Helia said. "He was a danger to the people and the world I'm sworn to protect. He was a danger to my friends."

"Alright, what's done is done." Yang said. "Dwelling on it won't help us. We have to go after Tuoni now." She headed for the glowing arch but Helia stepped in front of her.

"Wait." Helia said. "You can't go in there."

"Move or I'll move you." Yang threatened. She did not entirely trust Helia either.

"No, I mean you'll die if you go in there." Helia explained. "It's a trap."

"What kind of trap?" Chie asked.

"It acts on Personas." Helia said. "If you go in there, it will kill you instantly."

"So how do we go after Tuoni?" Labrys asked.

"You don't." Helia replied. "Only those with the power of the Wild Card can survive it. I heard Rosso and Tuoni talk about it. Something about that power is special. For some reason Tuoni couldn't create a trap that would kill Fools. He hoped you would all enter together, and that the three of you would be distracted by the deaths of your friends and unable to resist him."

"So Yu, Aigis and I are the only ones who can go in there?" Ruby asked. "We have to fight him alone?"

"Unfortunately." Helia sighed. "You're right, he's scared of you. Tuoni thinks he can defeat the three of you if he has to, but not all of you at once. You won't be able to use your Personas in there either. At least that's what Tuoni said. Please, I'm begging you, just let it go. If Tuoni can't take your abilities by killing you, he can't complete his plan. You don't need to risk yourselves."

"I think we do." Yu said. "If we just leave him, he'll keep kidnapping people until he draws us back anyway. We're going to have to fight him eventually. I made a promise not to give up until we saw this through."

"I promised Ozpin that I would protect the students here." Aigis said. "Tuoni cannot be allowed to remain a threat. If my life is the price of defeating him, so be it."

"We can do this." Ruby said. "We'll defeat Tuoni and save Remnant!"


	22. The Second Triumverate

Chapter 22

Yu, Ruby and Aigis had goodbyes to say. They knew very well that the battle they faced could be their last. Even in victory, survival was not guaranteed. Though they did not know him, Ruby and Yu had Minato's fate in mind just as Aigis did. Would they be required to make a similar sacrifice?

* * *

"If I don't make it back, take care of everyone for me." Yu said, shaking Yosuke's hand. "You've been a good friend."

"You'll be back." Yosuke said confidently. "Now go before I get emotional." Yu smiled and moved on.

"Kick his ass!" Chie said.

Yu wanted to hug her but that would have just embarrassed her. Yu settled for resting a hand on her shoulder. "Keep fighting, no matter what." He said. Chie struggled to hold back tears as Yu moved on.

Yukiko embraced Yu. "I know you can do this." She said. "Besides, what would we do without you?"

"You don't need me." Yu said. "You'd be fine on your own. Don't worry though; I have no intention of falling here." They smiled at each other and Yu moved on.

"Beat the shit out of that asshole." Kanji ordered. He hugged Yu tightly, too tightly for Yu's liking. "You showed me what it means to be a man. Now show that son-of-a-bitch what kind of man you are."

"I will." Yu said, still recovering from the bear hug. "Whatever happens, never stop being you." Kanji nodded and put on a brave face as Yu moved on.

"I love you Senpai." Rise sobbed, burying her face in Yu's chest. "So you'd better not die. You wouldn't want to let me down."

"I'll be fine." Yu assured her. "You will be too. Don't let what happens here change you. You wouldn't want to let me down." Yu held her at arms' length for a moment, as they gazed at each other, and then he moved on.

"Sensei!" Teddie cried. Hu hugged Yu and could not say anything else.

"Believe it or not, you've got yourself sorted better than most of us." Yu said. "Don't let this change that. When I get back you'd better be the same happy-go-lucky Teddie." Yu pried Teddie off of him and moved on.

Naoto said nothing, just looking at Yu with tears in her eyes. "If I don't make it…" Yu started. To his surprise, Naoto slapped him, hard.

"You're coming back." Naoto said, pressing her index finger into Yu's chest. "If death couldn't keep me down you'd better not let it stop you."

"Alright then, I'll be back soon." Yu said. To Naoto's great embarrassment, he hugged her. "Now, I think it's time for me to go." Yu took a long look at the glowing arch before turning back at his friends. "I love you all." He said.

* * *

"Weiss, I know we haven't always gotten along, but I've really enjoyed being your friend." Ruby said. "I know you'll miss me if I don't make it."

"Don't say something so stupid, you dolt." Weiss said, trying to put on a mask of anger but unable to hide her sadness. "This team needs its leader, so you'd better make it." Ruby nodded and smiled before moving on.

"We really don't have much in common, and I still don't know much about you, but it's been really fun." Ruby said to Blake. "If I come back I hope you'll let us all further into your world."

"I…I will." Blake promised. "Just defeat Tuoni and come back, please."

"I'm looking forward to learning more about you." Ruby said. She moved on.

"Yang, I know you want to protect me, but just know that it's not your responsibility." Ruby said. "You can be your own person and I'll be mine. You shouldn't let me hold you back. If anything happens to me, I just don't want you to blame yourself."

Yang could not help but cry. She hugged Ruby tightly, too tightly for Ruby's liking. "I never think of protecting you as a burden." She said. "I just want you to be happy." She paused for a moment, struggling to compose herself. "Please don't die."

"I won't." Ruby said. Then she moved on.

"You're the first person who was nice to me at Beacon." Ruby said to Jaune. "You're a great guy. I mean, I still have no idea how in the world you got into Beacon, but you're a great person. Keep being the leader your team needs."

"You're talking like you're not coming back." Jaune said. "If it was me going in there, yeah, sure, probably not coming back. You though, you'll be fine." Reassured, Ruby moved on.

"Nora, you're the craziest person I know, and I mean that in the best way possible." Ruby said. "Don't ever stop being your crazy, happy, energetic self."

"Okay, but you've got to do me a favor." Nora said.

"Sure, why not?" Ruby replied.

"Break Tuoni's legs!" Nora shouted. Ruby giggled and moved on.

"I'm not really sure what to say." Pyrrha admitted. "I know you helped get Jaune's head on straight, so thank you for that. Just don't get yourself killed."

"I'll do my best." Ruby said with a smile. "Don't give up on Jaune. He's pretty dumb, but he's a good guy."

"Oh I know, and I won't." Pyrrha said. Ruby moved on.

"I can honestly say I don't know anything about you." Ruby said to Ren. "That said, for someone who almost never talks, you're a great friend. If anything happens, make sure Nora's alright."

"She'll be fine because nothing will happen." Ren said with quiet confidence.

Ruby smiled and turned to face the glowing arch. She turned back to her friends. "You guys are the best friends a socially awkward girl could as for." She said.

* * *

"Just know that you will never be alone." Aigis said, awkwardly embracing Labrys. "Even when I am gone, you will still have all these great friends."

"I know." Labrys said, smiling. "I'm not gonna' have to worry 'bout you bein' gone for a long time though. You've beaten more than one god; this one'll be a piece of cake."

"Yes, I will see you soon." Aigis said. She was confident, but still feared sharing Minato's fate. Still, even if she did, she would be able to return to say her final goodbyes. Aigis looked at the glowing arch for a moment before turning back to Labrys. "I am so proud of you." She said.

* * *

"This is it." Aigis said to Yu and Ruby as they stood before the arch.

"The final battle, just the three of us." Yu said, frowning.

"Oh come on, cheer up!" Ruby said. "After we take care of Tuoni we'll finally get to have some fun together without anything hanging over our heads. I'm tired of all the doom and gloom." Ruby said with determination, holding Crescent Rose at the ready. "Let's finish this." Yu and Aigis nodded. The three stepped into the light together.

* * *

For all the light pouring through the arch, the world inside was fairly dark. It was also filled with a thick gray fog. Yu slipped his glasses on but they made no difference. This fog was different than the fog in the TV world. He looked around, squinting to see anything. It seemed he had been separated from Ruby and Aigis. Tuoni was nowhere to be seen.

"So Helia turned coat." Tuoni's voice boomed through the fog. "I suspected as much. No matter, you still have no chance."

"We took down Rosso and you're next." Yu shouted back.

"Helia took down Rosso." Tuoni corrected him. "The rest of you didn't have the courage to do what needed to be done." The voice was much closer now. "I wonder if you're man enough to kill me."

The voice was very close now. The fog seemed to part, revealing a silhouette. Yu approached carefully, his weapon at the ready. As he closed in he could see that it was Tuoni, his back turned. Yu lifted his sword and slashed at Tuoni. Something was wrong. He held up at the last second, the blade millimeters from his target's neck.

"Yu!" Ruby yelled, spinning around to face him. "What are you doing?" He had almost sliced her in two.

"You were…" Yu started.

"So close." Tuoni said with disappointment. Yu and Ruby turned to face the voice. Another clearing in the fog appeared, Tuoni standing there with a taunting smile on his face. "You have no idea just how much pleasure I would get from you killing each other."

Ruby swung Crescent Rose around and fired at Tuoni. He dodged the shot and suddenly was no longer Tuoni. "Ruby stop." Aigis said. "He is playing tricks with our minds."

"That was really quite rash Ruby." Tuoni said. "You saw what I did to Yu, and you still fell for it."

"Just show yourself!" Ruby shouted. "If you're so strong, face us."

*Recommended Music: _The Battle for Everyone's Souls_ (Persona 3 Soundtrack)*

"Gladly." Tuoni said. The fog blew away, revealing a cratered ground that resembled the moon, but with fissures oozing lava in some places. A geyser of lava shot skyward, drawing the group's attention. Tuoni stood in front of it. His eyes glowed brighter than before and his confident smile had been replaced by a scowl. "It is said that man fears that which he cannot see more than that which he can, but I think you will find the opposite can be true. You have already witnessed a fraction of my power when you faced Tuonen Piika. Now, behold the full power of death." A blinding red flash was emitted from his eyes and his suit burned away as he was engulfed by a mass of shadows. Shadows piled on, building into a tower forty feet tall. The exterior melted away, revealing Tuoni's true form. His face was replaced by a featureless blackness in the vague shape of a skull, broken only by his glowing red eyes. His body was skeletal and black, only tendons and ligaments holding the bones together with the help of rotten muscles. His right hand had grown into a giant blood-red claw and his left arm formed a gigantic blade. "Tremble with fear." He growled.

"That's it?" Yu said with disappointment. "That's all you are?"

"What!?" Tuoni shouted incredulously.

"Yeah, I was expecting something scarier." Ruby agreed with Yu. "A pile of bones isn't that bad."

"When I fought death, it had taken the form of our planet's moon." Aigis said flatly. "This pales in comparison."

"You will pay for your insults!" Tuoni roared. He charged at them, wildly swiping his claw and blade as he ran. The three easily dodged his charge, ending up behind him. Just as they had planned earlier, their taunts had hit Tuoni's ego and pushed him into a mistake.

"Open fire!" Aigis ordered. She aimed her hands at Tuoni's back and fired. Yu and Ruby aimed their weapons and poured bullets into Tuoni as he groaned in pain. The bullets slammed into his bones, which reacted as if they were liquid, blobs flying off as each hit made a wet slap. Tuoni spun around, his eyes seeming to burn with rage. He stomped back across the apocalyptic landscape toward the trio, more controlled this time.

"I don't think are weapons are having much of an effect." Ruby observed.

"It's time to up the ante." Yu agreed. "Izanagi!" He crushed a tarot card in his hand in an attempt to summon his Persona. Nothing happened. "Not this again." He sighed.

"Did you really think I would allow you to use your powers?" Tuoni laughed. He swung his bladed arm at Yu, the blade extending to meet him as Yu blocked with his own weapon. The force of the impact sent Yu flying, but he was able to keep control and land on his feet. His blade showed a deep gash.

Aigis raced forward and leapt into the air, heading straight for Tuoni's face. She stabbed her spear forward into one of Tuoni's eyes, sinking it deeply into the monster. She could feel energy gathering in his head and sure enough, a ball of fire blasted out of the penetrated eye, sending Aigis tumbling back. She skidded to a stop on a foot and a knee as Tuoni stared at her, apparently uninjured by her assault. With Tuoni distracted, Ruby attacked his legs, slashing Crescent Rose at his shin bone. The blade scythed through cleanly, meeting little resistance, but as soon as it passed through the other side Tuoni's leg reformed. Tuoni slammed his claw down at her as she used her semblance to escape in a flurry of rose petals.

"Do you understand now?" Tuoni said. "I am invincible. Your weapons cannot harm me. You are only delaying the inevitable."

"What do we do now?" Yu asked.

"We keep attacking." Ruby replied. "He's got to have some sort of weakness. If he was invincible he wouldn't have gone through all the trouble of trying to get us to destroy ourselves."

"Your efforts are futile." Tuoni declared. "I grow weary. I shall stay my hand no longer." Tuoni's eyes flared and a ball of blinding light appeared above him. It slammed down and exploded, knocking Yu, Aigis and Ruby off their feet. It was a tremendously powerful attack and it left them dazed. Tuoni's eyes flared again and another ball of light appeared. It too slammed down and exploded, pressing the three into the ground. This was it. One more and it would all be over. Tuoni laughed with satisfaction as his eyes flared a third time. A ball of energy appeared and slammed down, bathing the area in light.

When the light faded, three figures stood firm. Yu, Aigis and Ruby, still dazed, stumbled to their feet behind their protectors. Before them stood three Personas, Izanagi-no-Okami, Messiah and Angelic Rose. Izanagi-no-Okami shared a similar appearance with Izanagi except that his clothing was white and he carried a long thin blade with a circular hilt. Messiah had the appearance of a mechanical angel, all white, with Minato's head. Angelic Rose represented Ruby's mother Summer, but idealized and bathed in light. The Personas stood between their wielders and Tuoni, acting autonomously.

"Personas?" Tuoni boomed. "Impossible." He waved his claw at the Personas. Their wielders could feel a crushing pressure on them but it soon disappeared, their Personas standing strong. Tuoni grunted angrily. "No matter, I will destroy them too." Tuoni's eyes flared and burned brilliantly. A ball of blinding light grew above him, larger and brighter than before. With a grand sweep of his arm, Tuoni directed the ball of energy at the Personas. The Personas raced forward to meet the attack, catching it mid-air. Tuoni kept his arm outstretched, willing the attack to land as the Personas resisted. The ball of energy flew back at Tuoni as his might was overcome. It slammed into him, blasting away at his skeletal body. Chunks of shadow exploded around the space as the energy burned them away. A great blast wave knocked Ruby, Yu and Aigis off their feet.

The light faded as the three stood. Tuoni stood before them, back in his human form, doubled over in pain. "We have won Tuoni." Aigis said. He raised his hands and fired at Tuoni, her bullets tearing chunks away as they tore through their target.

Tuoni stumbled forward, reaching out an arm. A ball of energy began to appear in his palm but Yu rushed forward, his blade held high. He sliced through Tuoni's arm, splitting it cleanly at the bicep. The severed limb dropped to the ground and burst in a cloud of ash. "You'll never win." Yu said. "Humanity's will to live, our will to live, is too strong."

Tuoni composed himself and stood straight. Ruby carefully approached him. "I will face defeat with dignity." He said.

Ruby slammed Crescent Rose's blade down just behind him, positioned to slice him in two. "It's over, finally." Ruby said. She pulled the trigger, slamming the blade back and scything Tuoni in two.

Tuoni's halves fell apart and landed with a thud. "As I fall, you fall with me." Tuoni said just before bursting into a cloud of dust.

The ground began to shake violently as geysers of lava shot up all around. The arch that had been their entrance collapsed. "We need to leave now." Aigis said.

"But how?" Ruby asked.

"I have an idea." Yu said as the world crumbled around them.

* * *

"What's happening?" Yosuke asked as the ground began to shake. Teams RWBY and JNPR, the Investigation Team and Labrys stood atop the Tower, waiting for their leaders to return.

"I think it's safe to say they did something big." Yang said. The shaking grew more violent, making it difficult for them to stand.

"We need to get out of here now." Jaune said, falling clumsily on his face.

"But we have to wait for them." Labrys pleaded.

"If we don't go now, they'll be no one for them to come back to." Weiss countered.

"Yeah, but how do we do this?" Kanji asked. "There's no way we can just run down the stairs before this place collapses."

"We've got our own landing strategies." Blake said. "You should figure one out fast."

The Tower collapsed upon itself and they fell.

* * *

Blake landed on her feet in a crouch. It was a hard landing but nothing she could not handle. Yang landed soon after, using the recoil from her gauntlets to slow her down as she neared the ground. Weiss floated gently on her glyphs. Nora sailed through the sky on Magnhild, landing on her feet. Pyrrha shot toward the ground like a dart, slamming down hard enough to crater the concrete ground. She looked up just in time to spot Jaune, repositioned herself slightly, and caught him. Ren dropped slowly, directing his aura downward to slow his descent. Helia descended in a pillar of fire, like a rocket launch in reverse. Next came the Investigation Team, carried gently to the ground by their Personas. Labrys floated down, carefully finding a landing spot with the help of the rocket boosters on her axe.

"It's a good thing we could use our Personas again." Yosuke said. "Otherwise you'd be scraping us off the ground."

"Thanks Pyrrha." Jaune said, stumbling around. "I've been meaning to figure out the whole landing thing."

They looked back at the Tower to see that the twisted labyrinth they had fought through was gone without a trace. Only the original Tower remained. Beacon had returned to normal. "Where are those three?" Blake asked nervously.

"Let me check." Rise said. She summoned her Persona and scanned the area. She concentrated hard but ran out of energy, falling to her knees in exhaustion. "I can't sense them anywhere." Rise reported, struggling to catch her breath as Labrys helped her to her feet.

"I can't sense them either." Helia confirmed after scanning with her own Persona.

"I don't smell them." Teddie said with growing alarm.

"Yang, what about you?" Pyrrha asked. Yang just shook her head.

"Does that mean…" Yukiko started. She did not have the heart to finish.


	23. New Beginnings

Chapter 23

*Recommended Music: _Aria of the Soul_ (Any version you like)*

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Igor said. "It's not every day we receive a call from a guest." He gestured toward an old rotary phone sitting on the table before him.

"I'm just glad I was able to contact you with my Scroll." Ruby said. "We were in a bit of a situation there."

"Yes, about that, there were…complications." Igor said. "Theodore can inform you of the details."

"I do not like the sound of that." Aigis said.

"Well, your minds are safely ensconced here in the Velvet Room." Theodore confirmed. "Unfortunately, your bodies were a bit harder to move." He hesitated. "They are currently…suspended in a void between dimensions."

"So, send them to Remnant, put our minds back in and we're done." Ruby said impatiently. "I'm sure our friends are worried about us."

"I will do that, but there is a problem." Theodore admitted. "You see, traveling between dimensions causes a terrible strain on mortal bodies. This is why only your minds travel to the Velvet Room. Yu and Aigis, you may have noticed a sense of disorientation and even pain when traveling to Remnant from Earth. Jumping your bodies around between dimensions as was required to save you is quite a lot more serious."

"Just tell us what'll happen." Yu said reassuringly. "We don't blame you for any difficulties."

"To put it bluntly, it's going to hurt." Theodore said. "Words would be inadequate to describe the pain you are about to experience. You should suffer no long term effects, but it will be exceedingly unpleasant. If you're lucky, you'll lose consciousness quickly."

"Is that all?" Aigis asked.

"Yes." Theodore confirmed.

"That's it?" Ruby asked. "I was expecting something worse, like we'd come out with three arms or have to all share one body. Pain I can deal with."

"Yeah, I thought you were going to say it would kill us." Yu said with relief.

"Yes, and hopefully it won't." Theodore said. "Goodbye for now."

"Wait!" Yu shouted as his vision began to blur. "What does that mean?!"

* * *

The silence of Beacon after curfew was shattered by blood-curdling screams. Lights flicked on all over campus as students, teachers and others rushed to see what had happened.

As Ozpin slowly approached, the crowd parted in front of him. He soon reached the source of the commotion. One of the school medics was attending to three unconscious individuals. Ruby, Aigis and Yu lay there peacefully. "What is their condition?"

"I don't know; I just got here." The medic replied. "I've only had time to check the vitals on this one." The medic pointed to Ruby. "Her heart rate is elevated but otherwise she's fine."

The medic turned to attend to Aigis but Ozpin stopped him. "I can take it from here." Ozpin said.

"Are you sure?" The medic asked. "This is my job."

"Don't worry about it." Ozpin said. "Go get some rest." The medic reluctantly pushed his way out through the crowd. He turned to the gathered throng. "You should all go back to bed." He waited a moment, the crowd not dispersing. "I mean now." He added with a more serious tone. The crowd broke up as Ozpin looked over the unconscious trio. He reached into his pocket and retrieved his Scroll. In a few taps, he made a call. "Helia? Good, it's Ozpin. I need you to come down to the statue. Bring your group too."

* * *

"What was that about?" Weiss asked as Helia put away her Scroll. Their friends gone, a somber mood pervaded the room. Since returning, they had sat together in silence, none of them sure what to say.

"Ozpin wants to see us." Helia said, standing. "All of us."

"Why?" Yosuke asked. "Does he think we're responsible for those screams?"

"He didn't say." Helia replied. "He's at the statue."

* * *

As the group approached, they could see Ozpin sitting on the low concrete wall the surrounded the statue. He looked winded. Beside him, propped up and leaning against the wall, were Ruby, Aigis and Yu. The group rushed to their friends as Helia approached Ozpin. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm just a little tired." Ozpin replied. "Aigis is heavier than I imagined. Perhaps I should have waited for your help to move them."

"What's wrong with them?" Jaune asked. "Are they hurt?"

Rise summoned her Persona to scan them. "They're fine." Rise said. "They're not hurt at least. I can't tell much about Aigis though."

"She's fine too." Labrys said. She had plugged herself into Aigis and run a diagnostic. "All of her systems are restartin' but she's not damaged."

"Well, you shouldn't just leave them out here." Ozpin said. "Why don't you take them back to your rooms so they can rest in comfort?"

* * *

Yu woke up in unbelievable pain. He wanted to scream but he could not get his breath. His head felt like it was going to explode. His skin felt like it was on fire. And his stomach… He forced himself to sit up and looked around. He spotted a garbage can. He tried to stand but fell on his face. With the pain he was already in, the fall hardly registered. He crawled to the garbage can and dumped out the contents. He propped himself up and put the can in front of his face. He vomited violently, again and again, until there was nothing left in his stomach.

Yu lay on the floor. It was cold and comfortable. The burning sensation in his skin faded and his headache became bearable. He took a deep breath. His chest hurt, but it was not too bad. Confident he would not vomit again; he put the garbage can down and maneuvered himself into a sitting position against the wall. He let out a long groan.

"You wuss." Ruby laughed, sitting across the room. She was on the floor too, beside another trash can with trash scattered around. Somehow she had a smile on her face. "The pain isn't that bad. Throwing up was pretty rough but come on." Yu winced as a wave of pain flared through his body.

The door swung open and Yang walked in, a plate of cookies in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. "You just threw up, are you sure you should be eating this?" She asked, seemingly oblivious to Yu.

"I can take it." Ruby said. "I'm not a child." Yang rolled her eyes and handed the food to Ruby. She took ate a cookie and took a sip of milk. "See." Her smile disappeared and she grabbed the garbage can just in time to fill it with cookies and milk. Yu chuckled then groaned in pain. "Oh shut up." Ruby said between vomits.

"You two are so cute." Aigis deadpanned. Somehow Ruby and Yu had not even seen her. She sat on a chair in the corner, looking exhausted. "We made it."

"That we did." Yu groaned. Speaking was painful. "Couldn't have done it without you two."

* * *

"Saying goodbye sucks." Chie said. They all agreed.

"At least we don't have to do it in the middle of the forest this time." Yukiko said.

"You've done a lot to help me." Margaret said. "It was the least I could do." Under cover of darkness they would be departing directly from Beacon.

"Pyrrha, I just wanted to thank you for helping my sister and me." Aigis said. "I hope we can all find what we are looking for."

"I'm sure you will." Pyrrha smiled.

"I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for, but I'll figure it out." Labrys said. "Just don't you give up on Jaune. I'm sure he'll figure it out sooner or later."

"Oh I won't." Pyrrha assured her, blushing slightly. "He can be a bit slow but I think he's starting to get it."

"Well, it looks like goodbye again." Yu said.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Ruby sighed. "Even with all the danger and all the pain, it's always really fun when you guys come to visit. Are you sure you don't want to stick around?"

"I can't." Yu replied. "There are people back home that need me. Don't worry though, we'll see each other again."

"I guess so." Ruby said. "Well, until then, have a great life." She hugged him tightly then took a step back. "Oh, and whatever's going on with you and the girls, get it sorted out. They have combat training now and you don't want them angry."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that." Yu said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. The others were waiting. "I guess it's time. It's been really great. Bye everyone!"

"See ya!" Yang shouted back.

"We'll miss you." Ruby added.

"I wonder if we'll get to keep our auras." Yosuke thought aloud just before stepping through the doorway that would lead them back home. "Probably not, we don't have anything like that on Earth."

After the others had left, Yu and Aigis took one last look back. They had met quite the cast of characters. Ruby was doing her best not to cry. Weiss looked bored. Blake, well, Blake was hard to read. Yang just smiled. Jaune looked confused. Tears rolled down Pyrrha's cheek. Nora waved exuberantly, bumping into Ren who stood there expressionless. They stepped through the door, heading home.

* * *

"Are you excited for your first day?" Aigis asked.

"Of course, I always wanted to go to school." Labrys replied. With Mitsuru pulling a few strings, Labrys had been enrolled in Yasogami High as a second year student. On the one hand, it gave Labrys the opportunity to live a semi-normal life. It also put her in a perfect position to keep an eye on Inaba and its Persona users.

"I hope you enjoy it as much as I did." Aigis said. She would not be able to stick around. There was always something to do with the Shadow Operatives. She would visit frequently, but Labrys would have to live mostly on her own.

"I'm sure I will." Labrys said. "You know I'm in Kanji's class?"

"You are?" Aigis said, feigning ignorance. She had helped to arrange it. "You will have a friend in class then. That is good."

"Yeah, and I'm looking forward to making lots more friends too." Labrys said with a smile. As much as Aigis worried about her, Labrys would be fine. Aigis wondered if maybe she was the one that should be worried about. The feeling passed, she would be alright too.

* * *

"Did you contact the lab about that sample I sent?" Dojima asked, a cigarette hanging from his lips. He plopped down in his chair looking exhausted.

"Yes sir!" Chie replied eagerly. She had been working with Dojima, acting as part intern and part junior detective, hoping to get a head start toward becoming a police officer herself. "They said it would be a few more hours." Dojima grunted in annoyance, the lab always took forever. "While I was waiting for you, I put this together." She slid a paper in front of Dojima.

"What's this?" Dojima asked as he spun the paper around.

"You were really busy so I wrote up a report for you on the traffic accident yesterday." Chie answered. "All you need to do is sign it and it's done."

Dojima looked over the report. "This is excellent." Dojima said. "Your handwriting could be neater, but this report is perfect. Thanks."

"Any time." Chie said.

"You know, you're exactly the kind of partner I've always wanted at this job." Dojima added. "Unlike that dumb shit Adachi, you actually care about your work. You respect what it means to be a detective. I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with." He had been unable to find a new partner since the Adachi incident. Everyone at the station knew how hard he would drive them, and rumor had it that he had driven Adachi insane. "I hope I'm not pushing you too hard. You're still just a student after all."

"It's fine, really." Chie said. "It's a privilege to work with you."

"That's good." Dojima said with relief. He thought for a moment before chuckling briefly. "Do me a favor and get me a coffee."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Rise peeked out around the curtain, taking a look at the crowd. She wanted to get an idea of how big it was, their mood, anything that she could use to tailor her performance to them. "We've got a pretty big crowd tonight." She said.

"Good, let's hope this idiot doesn't screw it up." Yosuke said, gesturing toward Teddie. Rise's comeback was picking up steam and Yosuke had convinced his father to get Junes to sponsor the show. As part of the deal, Teddie, Junes' mascot, would join Rise on stage for one of her songs. That was also Yosuke's idea and if it went well, he was in for a promotion. If not, well, he would rather not think about that.

"You're going to do this just like in rehearsal." Rise said. "Step for step, no changes."

"And if I'm good…" Teddie pressed.

"If you're good, I'll introduce you to Kanamin." Rise sighed.

"And if you're not you'll be homeless." Yosuke reminded him.

"I'll be good!" Teddie said with alarm. "I'll follow the script, just like in rehearsal."

"The show starts in a minute." Rise's manager reminded the group.

"Alright Teddie, are you ready for this?" Rise asked, her excitement building. She knew she was.

* * *

"Kanji, are you here?" Yukiko asked, walking into Tatsumi Textiles.

"Yeah, give me a minute." Kanji called from the back. He walked out still knitting a stuffed animal. His work had become the store's best seller. "What's up?"

"I just wanted you to try something I cooked." Yukiko replied, holding up a box of food. "You're the only one I can trust to give me an honest review." He was also the only one brave enough to consume something she cooked.

"Yeah, I guess." Kanji said. He put down his knitting and nervously took the box from Yukiko and opened it. "Looks good." He sniffed it. "Smells alright too." With a look of terror on his face, he took a bite, chewed it and swallowed.

"Well?" Yukiko asked.

"Holy shit." Kanji said with a look of shock on his face. Yukiko's heart sank. "This is actually pretty good!" He proceeded to shovel large chunks of food into his mouth.

"Really?" Yukiko asked with glee.

"Yeah." Kanji replied with his mouth full. Yukiko was just satisfied that he had not immediately vomited like the last time. Maybe she was really improving as a cook.

* * *

"It's nice to be able to spend time together." Naoto said. "It's even better out here where no one knows us."

"It's a shame about the weather though." Yu sighed as raid drizzled down on them. They had walked up the mountain on a path through the forest. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Unfortunately, when they reached the top, it started to rain. The path would be muddy, so they decided to walk down the road to get back to town. "I don't know why it still bothers you for people to see us together."

"I guess I'm still easily embarrassed." Naoto said. She held Yu's hand and intertwined her arm in his, leaning against him as they walked. It had gotten cold, and they were both glad they had decided to wear jackets on what had been a rather warm and sunny day.

Yu heard a noise and turned his head to look behind them. What he saw filled him with terror. A car had rounded the curve too fast and it was already spinning uncontrollably across the wet road. He met eyes with the driver, a look of confused horror in his eyes. It was heading straight for them. With little time to react, Yu shoved Naoto out of the way just as the car slammed into him. It continued on for a few more feet before pinning him against a concrete retaining wall.

"Yu!" Naoto cried. He was slumped over the car's crumpled hood, steam from its destroyed radiator spraying up beside him.

Yu groaned and looked up, again meeting the driver's eyes. He saw terror but felt no fear. "Back up." He said. The driver just stared at him. "Back up, please." He said more insistently.

"I-I-I can't." The driver stammered. "It's broken."

Yu sighed. "Put it in neutral." He said. He could hear the transmission grind as the driver did so. Yu reached down and found a spot where he had some leverage and pushed with all his might. The car rocked back a few inches, and it was enough for him to squirm free.

"But…how?" The driver said in shock. Yu was entirely unhurt. The only evidence that the car had hit him was a near semicircle crushed into its front end where he had been. Naoto looked at him like she was seeing a ghost.

Yu dusted himself off casually and jumped down off the car's hood. "I think it's safe to say we've kept our auras." He said to Naoto. "Good thing too, that car hit me pretty hard." He looked back at the car. The driver was unconscious. "Is he alright?"

Naoto approached the car and carefully opened the driver's door. She looked the driver over and checked his vitals. "He seems fine, no broken bones or anything." Naoto said. "I think he just fainted." Yu shrugged. "You would too if you saw what he just did!" She slapped him on the shoulder. "Don't go scaring me like that!"

Yu laughed uneasily. "Yeah, sorry."

* * *

Teams RWBY and JNPR happily ate their lunch. Nora's tall tales had only gotten taller since the shadow incident, and she had most of them totally engrossed in her latest. Ruby could not bring herself to care. She looked at her food with a frown and just sat there. Finally Weiss noticed something was up. "Ruby, what's wrong?" She asked. "You normally eat your cookies with disturbing speed but you haven't touched them today. Are they oatmeal raisin today?"

"No, that's not it." Ruby said. She picked up a cookie but put it back down before taking a bite. "I just miss Yu and those guys."

"I'm sure they'll be back." Pyrrha said. "They can't seem to stay away."

"Yeah, they probably just needed a Blake." Yang said with a wide smile. "Eh? Eh?" She raised her hand to receive a high-five, but none was forthcoming. The others just groaned and went back to what they were doing. She sat there with her arm raised awkwardly, the smile slowly fading from her face. Finally, Jaune high-fived her out of pity.

After lunch Ruby headed back to her room. She felt sick and sad and did not want to go to afternoon classes. She swiped her Scroll over the pad at the door and it clicked open. She sighed and stepped inside, only to be confronted by a familiar face. "Theodore?!" Ruby exclaimed. "How did you get in here? The door was locked."

"You left the window open so I climbed up." Theodore explained. He looked his arm with a grimace. "I fell…twice, but I eventually made it."

"What are you even doing here?" Ruby asked.

"Margaret contacted me to say there's something happening on Earth." Theodore replied. "She thought you and your friends might want to help."

"Of course we would!" Ruby shouted. "I'll get them and be right back!"

THE END

* * *

**Author's note: First of all, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now, as I'm sure you've noticed, I seem to be setting up a sequel with the ending here. That's not the case. I'm keeping my options open, but I have no plans to continue this series. That could change but not in the immediate future. I am planning to reboot my RWBY/Persona crossover in a whole new story. When? I can't say. I'm working on something I can't talk about right now, and it takes up a lot of my time. Things are also getting busy at my day job. After that, it'll still take time because I don't like to release anything without being a few chapters ahead. Of course I might hit on something and write a few chapters in one sitting. I might do a few one-offs but I can't say for sure. ****In any case, it's been a pleasure and I will be back. I hope you'll be back too.**


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